


At Rest With You

by AngelofShadows



Series: To Love and Be Loved [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, BOM Keith, Dads of Marmora (Voltron), Established Relationship, Family, Galra Keith (Voltron), Homesickness, Keith gets to go home dammit, Meet the Family, Mood Swings, Multi, Pack Dynamics, Protective Keith (Voltron), Shenanigans, Shiro (Voltron) is a Good Boyfriend, pack bonds, protective dads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-05 18:34:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 32,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15869385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelofShadows/pseuds/AngelofShadows
Summary: Keith is going home. At last, he is going home. But it’s not all uphill from here. There’s still a war on, and he and his pack are caught right in the middle of it all. Now, with the Blade of Marmora at his back once more, they face what may be their toughest battle to date, along with the hardest of losses.I love you - I am at rest with you - I have come home.– Dorothy L. Sayers





	1. The Crash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello once again my dears! I'm back with more of this crazy AU! It's the long awaited PART 4!!!!! I bet you are all very eager for some reunions!!  
> Well you’re going to have to wait a chapter because some weird aliens need to attack Shiro first and Keith needs to be the Big Damn Hero. And THEN we get to Ulaz.  
> So. Have Across The Universe.

Keith is falling. First through the wormhole, and then through an unknown planet’s atmosphere. Red isn’t responding, so Keith can’t control their rate of descent in any way. He looks out and sees sand. A desert planet. How appropriate. He also sees the prone form of the Black Lion, just as out of control as he is. Shiro.

“Shi-!” he tries to call out, but then Red hits the ground, and he blacks out.

He comes to what must only be a few moments later, blinking blearily out the viewscreen. Yep, that’s sand alright. He sighs and looks at his controls.

“You okay, Red?” He says softly, moving the controls and waiting for any response. She rumbles in the back of his mind, telling him to leave her alone. He’s just relieved she’s okay.

“Okay, we’ll fix you up. We had a tough battle.”

He sighs and exits through the top of her head, looking around the barren landscape. “Where are we? Where have we landed?” he looks around for another moment before an indicator pings in his helmet. The Black Lion. Shiro was here.

“Shiro. Shiro!”

He jumps down from Red and starts running in the direction the indicator is pointing. Shiro had landed with him. He saw the Black Lion land, so why wasn’t Shiro responding? Was he hurt? Still unconscious? What could have happened? Keith growls and runs faster, calling Shiro’s name over the comm.

“Come on, Shiro, answer me! Takashi, please, please tell me you’re okay.”

He suddenly hears static on the other end and perks up. “Shiro? Shiro can you hear me?”

He hears his name, garbled through the static.

“Shiro? It’s Keith!”

“Keith, Keith I’m here.” Shiro says weakly. Keith sighs in relief.

“Shiro, you made it.”

He hears his mate huff. “It takes more than a glowing alien wound and a fall from the upper atmosphere and crashing into a hard-panned surface at what I’m guessing is about twenty-five meters per second squared to get rid of me. How are you?”

Keith shakes his head fondly. He loves his nerd. “Not good. My lion’s busted. Wait, what wound?” He knew it. He _knew_ Shiro was injured.

“It’s nothing.” Shiro says hastily and Keith hisses quietly. Yeah, like he believes that, especially when Shiro groans in pain.

“Hang on, I’m coming.” He says, and speeds up again, near sprinting across the barren ground.

He hears Shiro gasp quietly, then say “On second thought, you’d better hurry.”

“Shiro what happened?”

“There are several creatures…”

Oh shit. Keith is so focused on the noise over the comm that he doesn’t hear the subtle hiss of steam until a geyser shoots up behind him. Oh shit. He runs, jets of hot water shooting up under every footstep, and over the comm, he can hear Shiro panting and grunting, and the vague sound of growling. Shiro cries out and Keith loses his footing, skidding over the edge of a steep drop, he yelps and pulls out his bayard, slamming the blade into the rock wall.

“Keith, are you okay? What happened?” Shiro says, sounding frantic.

Keith huffs. “Minor delay, but I’m on my way. How are you?”

“I’m alright, but I’m trapped in a cave and some nasty looking creatures have me cornered.”

Keith growls and looks at the very wide chasm stretching out in front of him. “Stay put, I’m on my way. I just have to… figure this out.”

Shiro laughs weakly. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

Keith huffs then paces back from the edge, muttering to himself. “Patience yields focus.”

“That really stuck with you, didn’t it?” Shiro says quietly.

Keith hums and digs his heel into the ground, watching the water shoot up, calculating. “You’ve given me some good advice.” He says absently. “If it wasn’t for you… my time on earth would have been a lot harder. And a lot lonelier.”

“You would have managed. You’re strong.”

Keith hums again. “Maybe, but that doesn’t mean I would have been okay. You, you saved me more than you realized. Especially at first.”

“You’ve done some saving of your own.” Shiro says gently.

“Yeah, but that’s just par for the course. You’re my mate. I’ll always protect you.”

“And I’ll protect you too.”

Keith purrs. “I guess we’ve got that part down, at least.” He says, thinking of how many times they’ve saved each other’s asses, just in the past few vargas alone.

Shiro laughs, and then coughs weakly. Keith bares his teeth in a silent snarl. “Stay with me, Takashi.” He says lowly, then uses his bayard to cut a wedge out of the cliff face, letting it propel him across half the chasm before using his jetpack to bridge the rest of the gap, slamming into the opposite side with a grunt.

“Keith? Keith!”

“Hang on,” he grunts, pulling himself up. “I’m on my way.”

“Good, because these guys just started digging.”

“Shit,” Keith hisses, and starts running again. A few moments later he laughs in triumph. “Shiro, I have a visual on the Black Lion. He waits, but he gets no response. “Shiro?” He hears a shout, and a heavy thud, and his heart stops. “Shiro what happened? Shiro!?” No response. Keith whines and sprints the rest of the way, landing next to the Black Lion and peering down into the valley.

Shiro is there, being chased by four bipedal predators. Keith snarls and turns to run back to the Black Lion. “I know I’m not Shiro,” he says, pressing his hand to her muzzle, “but he’s in trouble. We’ve gotta help him.”

There is nothing for a moment, and Keith hears Shiro shout. “Please,” He says. “Please.”

Her eyes flash, and she sits up, opening her mouth for him. “Thank you.” he tells her, and runs inside, throwing himself into the pilot’s seat and jumping down into the valley, swatting away all the predators. Black is a lot slower than Red, but she gets the job done, swiping her tail threateningly over Shiro’s head and roaring. The creatures flee, and Keith lowers her head, jumping out to help Shiro to his feet.

“She let you pilot her.” Shiro whispers in awe, leaning on Keith’s shoulder.

Keith shrugs. “I told her we needed to save you.”

Shiro laughs as Keith leads him into the cockpit and eases him down into the pilot’s seat. “Are you ever going to stop saving me?”

“Never.” Keith says honestly, then straddles Shiro’s lap and kisses him.

~*~

They fly out of the valley to find Red waiting for them, seemingly all better, for which Keith is grateful. He and Shiro make a fire and figure the best option they have is wait for the castle to come find them. He sits next to Shiro and looks at the wound in his side. “How’s your wound?”

“My wound’s great. It’s getting bigger all the time.”

He gives his mate a very unamused look.

“Just… trying to lighten the mood.”

Keith growls quietly and leans over so his head is pillowed on Shiro’s lap and starts purring gently. “You’re gonna be okay. When the castle gets here, we can get you into a healing pod and it’ll be fine.”

“Will a healing pod work on this kind of wound?” Shiro asks, combing the fingers of his Galra hand slowly through Keith’s hair.

“A magic one? Yeah. It’s still a physical wound, even if it is all gross and glow-y.” He sighs and nuzzles against Shiro’s stomach. “Antok got a wound like that once. They wouldn’t let me see him because they didn’t want me to see how bad it looked, but I know it was from a druid. Dad chewed him out for so long before finally sticking him in a pod. Kolivan didn’t leave the med bay for two days, waiting for him to wake up. It takes longer to heal than a normal wound, but it heals all the same.”

Shiro’s hand stills. “And what if the castle doesn’t get here in time?”

“It will.” Keith says firmly.

“Keith…”

Keith sits up and glares at Shiro. “It will. Nothing is going to happen to you. You’re going to be fine.”

“Keith…” Shiro sighs and looks into the fire for a long moment, before looking at him again with a pensive look. “Keith, if I don’t make it out of here, I want you to lead Voltron.”

Keith growls lowly. “Stop talking like that, you’re going to make it.”

Shiro smiles at him, looking exhausted, but then Keith hears something and looks up. The castle found them. He turns to glare at Shiro. “Told you.”

Shiro laughs weakly and lets Keith pull him to his feet, leading him into the Black Lion before jumping in Red.

Once he lands in the Red Lion’s hangar, he runs to the Black Lion’s, getting there just in time to catch Shiro as he tumbles out. Allura and Pidge run in as he’s leading Shiro towards the door.

“Oh my!” Allura gasps, and Keith grits his teeth.

“Can you go get a pod ready?”

“Of course.” She nods and turns and runs back out of the room.

“Pidge, help me with him.”

“Right,” The Green Paladin says and comes around to support Shiro’s other side.

They quickly but carefully move Shiro to the pod bay and Coran meets them there. Pidge waits outside as he and Coran change Shiro out of his paladin armor and into the white body suit one wears in the pods, and he carefully helps Shiro inside.

“I love you. Now get better.” Keith says, giving Shiro a stern look.

The Black Paladin laughs weakly, leaning back in the pod. “I love you too, Keith.”

The pod closes, and Shiro sleeps.

Keith sighs and leans back on an empty pod, staring at his mate’s sleeping form for several long minutes before he feels a careful hand on his arm. He purrs quietly and moves his arm so he can loop it around Pidge’s shoulders, tugging her into his side.

“He’s gonna be okay, Keith.” She says quietly.

“I know.” Keith sighs, still staring at Shiro. “But I promised I wouldn’t let him get hurt again, and now…”

“It wasn’t your fault. You stopped Zarkon from getting the Black Lion. That’s good, right?”

“Yeah.” He sighs and ducks down to nose at her hair gently. “Hey, so, about that. When we finally find my dads… let’s _not_ mention I decided it would be a good idea to fight Zarkon single-handed, okay?”

She laughs. “As long as you don’t tell _my_ dad about the Sendak incident.”

“Deal.” He grins and ducks down to bite her shoulder.

“Dude, you have sharp teeth!” She giggles, and Keith grins and bites her again.

“You are nineteen, you are too old to be teething!” She protests, shoving Keith’s head away from her.

“Not teething, biting. ‘Cause you’re mine.” He says smugly, ducking in to lick her cheek.

“Oh god no fuck you!”

Keith grins and ducks out of the way of her hand swinging at his shoulder.

“I’m going to get you for that, Kogane!”

“Try and catch me!” Keith coos, and runs out of the room, laughing as he hears Pidge screech and run after him.

~*~

A few vargas later, they find Hunk and Lance, apparently on a planet inhabited by what Lance calls mermaids. He’s apparently ecstatic.

Keith stakes out the pod room, with frequent visits from the others, making sure he remembers to sleep and eat. Hunk keeps bringing him dinner and making Keith sleep on him. He is very, very comfortable. Pidge comes and plays card games with him, teaching him how to play Texas Hold ‘Em, and he teaches her Kanzaant.

Allura comes to sit with him too.

“It was foolish, coming after me. What was he thinking?” Allura says, staring up at Shiro.

“Hey, don’t look at me, I told them that’s what you’d say.” He grumbles. Then he looks at her curiously. “They didn’t seem to have any idea about Zarkon.”

She looks at him cautiously. “What do you mean?”

Keith sighs. “Oh son of a bitch, you didn’t tell them on purpose. Why?”

Allura looks back up at Shiro, biting her lip. “I wanted him to be able to bond with the Black Lion, without worrying about it.”

“Yeah, well, that kind of backfired.”

“I know.”

She leans against his side and lays her head on his shoulder. He sighs and presses his cheek against the top of her head, purring quietly.

“I had forgotten, how soothing Galra purring could be.” She murmurs.

Keith hums through the purring. “My dads would use it to put me to sleep when I was a kid. Or to calm me down when I was upset. It’s… natural, for me to use it to soothe members of my pack.”

“We are part of your pack?”

“Of course you are.”

She hums quietly. “I am glad.”

Keith purrs louder, and soon enough, Allura falls asleep on his shoulder.

~*~

The next morning, they all gather in the pod room, waiting. Shiro should be waking soon now. He’s in REM sleep, which should mean he’ll be coming to any minute. But it’s obvious that whatever dreams he’s having are not good ones.

“Is he okay?” Hunk asks softly.

“Sometimes the healing process can cause involuntary brain wave reactions.” Allura tells him.

Hunk frowns and looks back up at Shiro. “He looks like he’s having a bad dream.”

Keith growls quietly, leaning against Shiro’s pod as though he can offer his mate comfort through proximity. “He just got blasted by a crazy witch, one who aided in his torture during his year as a prisoner, and mauled by giant lizards. Plus, you know, trauma from his aforementioned year in prison. He has plenty to be having nightmares about.”

Shiro continues to twitch uneasily in the pod and Keith whimpers, pressing a hand to the glass. Suddenly the pod starts beeping and the others crowd around, waiting to see Shiro’s eyes open.

They do a moment later, suddenly, and Shiro gasps, pressing a hand to the glass to steady himself.

“You’re okay, Takashi,” Keith purrs.

Shiro’s gaze snaps to him, and his eyes widen. “Keith, oh god.” He smacks the glass, and it opens with a quiet hiss. Shiro reaches out for him, gripping his shoulders tightly with a serious look in his eyes.

“Takashi?”

“I remember.” Shiro pants. “I remembered how I escaped from the Galra. An infiltrator, pretending to be one of them. Keith, it was one of _you_. It was a member of the Blade of Marmora.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gee, I wonder which Blade it was.
> 
> Wednesday we get our long awaited reunion, and then the angst comes. 
> 
> Have a lovely start to your week!


	2. The Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is, the long awaited reunion. Have fun!

Keith’s eyes go wide and he grips Shiro’s wrists tightly. “A Blade? Are… are you sure?”

Shiro grits his teeth and nods.

“Oh my gods.” Keith breathes, knees going weak. “Can… can you remember who? Did they give you their name? Or, can you tell me what they looked like?”

Shiro’s jaw clenches and he shakes his head. “I’m sorry, it’s… it’s already fuzzy again. I know it was a man, and I know he told me his name, but I can’t remember it. But he very specifically said ‘Blade of Marmora’, and…” Shiro looks down, screwing his eyes shut as though trying to remember.

“And what? Shiro?” Keith’s voice cracks. He’s shifting, he can feel it, and tries not to dig his claws into Shiro’s arms.

“He told me to find you.” Shiro says, looking back up at him. “He said ‘When you get to Earth, find Keith Kogane. He will know what to do when you find the Lion.’”

Keith’s breath hitches and he feels his ears fold back against his head. So it had to be someone that knew him well, or they wouldn’t know where he’d been sent. Kolivan had made sure only a handful of people outside their immediate sub-pack had known where Keith was being sent, to keep him safe.

“Oh gods.” Keith says again and leans against Shiro. “They’re okay. They survived. Oh thank the gods.” He’s shaking, but he doesn’t care. He knows the Blade wasn’t destroyed. He knows at least some of them are alive. That’s more than he’s known for over three years.

“There’s something else.” Shiro says quietly, rubbing his back.

Keith chirps in question.

“He gave me coordinates to one of your outposts. He buried the data in my arm. Keith, we can go find him. He can tell you about your fathers.”

Keith’s head shoots up. He stares at Shiro for a long minute, before his head snaps around to find Pidge.

“Pidge…”

“On it.” She says seriously, nodding. “Shiro, change and then meet me in the Green Lion’s hangar. I’ll get my equipment set up.” She turns and hurries out of the room, doors swishing shut behind her.

“We’re going to find them, Keith. I promise.” Shiro whispers and presses a kiss to Keith’s temple.

“Thank you.” Keith murmurs, finally pulling away. “You… you need to go get changed. And, I mean, we don’t have to extract the data right away, you’re probably tired…”

“No.” Shiro says firmly. “If we can get you information on your fathers, we’ve got to do it. You’ve been worried about them for three years. I won’t make you worry anymore.”

Shiro kisses him gently and Keith whimpers. “We’ll find them” He says, and then excuses himself so he can go get changed.

The others filter out of the room, until it’s only him and Allura.

“Keith…” She says quietly, stepping forwards and placing a careful hand in his arm. “I hate to say this but, don’t you think this might… be a trap? That perhaps the Galra did find the Blade, and they’re using this as an ambush?”

Keith sighs and looks at her, ears flicking in agitation, even as they fade away back to his human ones. “It crossed my mind.” He says after a moment. “Of course it did. My fathers taught me to always be prepared for the worst, but Allura, I have to make sure. If we randomly found intel on the Alteans, you’d still want to go investigate, even though you know Altea is gone, wouldn’t you?”

She sighs. “Yes, I would.”

“So you understand, I _have_ to know. I have to follow this lead, wherever it ends. I’ll go by myself if you want so I don’t endanger the others, or the lions. I’ll take a pod. But I need to see where Shiro’s coordinates lead me.”

“That will not be necessary.” Allura says firmly, squeezing his arm. “I am with you in this. We are all with you. we will follow this lead, and hopefully, at the end of it, we can find your fathers.”

“Thank you.” He says honestly, leaning in to scent her briefly. “Come on, let’s get to the Green Lion’s hangar.”

~*~

Keith opens Shiro’s arm and Pidge hooks it up to her computer, sifting through massive amounts of code, looking for anything resembling coordinates.

“Be thorough. They’ll be hidden well.” Keith tells her. And then he begins to pace.

“I still believe this might be a trap.” Allura says quietly. “So we will have to be on our guard.”

Keith nods curtly.

The princess crosses her arms and stares at the scrolling bits of data on the screen. “I hope we find that my fears are unfounded. The empire is terrible and cannot be trusted.”

“They were trusted once.” Shiro says, looking up at Allura. “Zarkon was the Black Paladin, wasn’t he?”

And here we go. “You should have told him.” Keith tells her.

Shiro’s gaze snaps to him. “Why didn’t you?”

Keith sighs. “I foolishly figured either Coran or Allura would have clued you in. It’s kind of a major issue, as you found out. Take the Black Lion too close to Zarkon…”

“And he takes over.” Shiro finishes. “That’s why you said it was too dangerous to go to Zarkon’s command ship.”

“Yep.”

Shiro and Allura talk about the Black Lion for several more minutes before Pidge speaks up. “I think I’ve got something!”

Keith is instantly hovering over her shoulder, ignoring whatever she’s saying about some Earth scientist, and reads the coordinates carefully.

“Keith?” Allura asks.

“I recognize these.” He says. “The Thaldicon system. We do have an outpost there.”

Allura instantly looks less suspicious, but still on guard. “Well, that is a good sign.”

“Okay,” Shiro says, standing when Pidge unplugs him and closes the panel on his arm. “Let’s go.”

~*~

They arrive at the coordinates, and Keith recognizes the area. He’s never actually been to the Thaldicon base, but he remembers his papa saying something about it being surrounded by massive amounts of Xanthorium crystals.

“Is this right?” Allura asks cautiously. “I am not getting any reading of any sort of structure in the area.”

Keith shakes his head, staring out the windows of the bridge. “You wouldn’t. All our bases are hidden. They each have a particular trick for finding and getting inside them.”

“Okay, well, what’s the trick for this one?” Hunk asks.

Keith frowns. “I… can’t remember.”

“What!?” Lance screeches, and Keith sighs.

“I never actually went to any of the outposts, okay? I just know where they are. And technically, I _do_ remember how to get in, but I can’t remember the right way to get into this one specifically, and if I guess wrong, _those_ ,” he points to the Xanthorium clusters. “Could blow us up. So just, give me a minute, okay?”

“Take your time, Keith,” Shiro says, a hand settling on his shoulder.

“We should be safe here for the moment, so we have the time.” Allura adds.

Approximately fifteen dobashes later, an alarm is tripped.

“What’s going on?” Shiro asks.

“There’s an intruder in the castle!” Coran says.

“How could someone just sneak aboard the ship?” Lance whines, but Keith freezes.

A Blade could. Easily.

Allura pulls up the security feeds, searching for the intruder. Keith spots him a few ticks before she does.

That is a Marmora suit, and… and… Keith’s breath hitches. He knows who that is. He can tell by the way he moves, and by the Blade strapped to his back.

“Everyone, suit up.” Shiro says, but Keith barely hears him, already sprinting towards his elevator. He’s barely breathing. Can this really be happening?

They all finish changing and meet down on level five, splitting up to try and find the “intruder”. He hears Coran narrate everyone’s attempts to find him, as well as the comm chatter.

“I got him.” Lance says, and Keith smirks. Oh he wishes he could see what was about to happen there.

“Keep eyes on him, Lance, we’re on our way to you.” Shiro responds.

Keith barely suppresses a snicker when he hears Lance shout “Hold it right there!” and again when the Blue Paladin squawks in surprise, probably as the intruder evades him.

Pidge is the next one to spot him. “I got him!” She crows over the comm, and then a minute later, panics, “I don’t got him!”

“He’s dragging Pidge away!” Coran says over the comm. Keith hopes she’s okay, wincing in sympathy.

Then there’s the sound of panicked blasting, and Pidge shouting “Hunk!”

“Oop, looks like Hunk failed the team, guys.” Coran says, and Hunk protests over comms.

“Looks like it’s all up to Keith now!” Coran narrates, and Keith breathes deeply, readying his bayard.

“Copy that,” He breathes. “I’m ready.” So, _so_ ready.

 A few ticks later, he sees the man round the corner and tries to say something before he has to dodge the cord of Pidge’s bayard, which the masked man has in his grip, dragging Pidge along for the ride. 

He growls lowly and runs after them. His legs are far longer than Keith’s, and he’s got a head start, so he looks at Pidge, who nods, and digs her heels into the ground, slowing the masked man down. When he looks back to see what’s happened, Keith jumps up and slashes down with his bayard.

The swing is blocked by the masked man’s blade, but Keith had expected that, so he just smirks, unsheathing his own Marmora blade and knocks the masked man’s out of his hands. The man tugs the cord of Pidge’s bayard forwards and sends her careening towards Keith, but he ducks out of the way, and holds up the awakened blade for the man to see.

He pauses. And stares. Keith knows he recognizes the blade.

Keith drops it to the ground, and then reaches up and removes his helmet, meeting the man’s eyes behind the mask.

The man freezes, and Keith can hear his breath hitch. Then, slowly, oh so slowly, the man reaches up and pushes back his hood, deactivating the mask as he does.

Ulaz stares at him with wide eyes. “Keith?” He says quietly.

Keith smiles and laughs weakly. “Hey, Dad.” Then he’s dropping his helmet and running, throwing himself into his dad’s arms. Ulaz catches him effortlessly, as he’s done so many times, and they sink to the floor. Keith inhales his father’s soothing scent, and a sob tears out of his throat.

“ _Dad. Daddy,”_ He whimpers, voice shaking so hard it’s a wonder he gets words out at all.

“Oh, kitling, hush, it’s alright, I have you. I have you.” Ulaz murmurs, tightening his grip around Keith. “It’s alright now. I’m here, my darling. I’ve got you.”

“I missed you,” Keith sobs. “I missed you so _much_ , every single day. I didn’t know if any of you were even alive, and I was just so _lost_ without you-!”

“I know,” Ulaz whispers, and Keith can tell his dad is fighting back tears of his own. “I know, kit. You have no idea how much we missed you too. It tore us apart to send you away, you must know that. We never stopped thinking about you, even for an instant. Gods, Keith, we worried about you all the time.”

Keith laughs shakily. “Well, that’s not new.”

“No, I suppose it’s not.” Ulaz pulls away just far enough so he can press their foreheads together, purring roughly. Keith answers with a purr of his own, tears still streaming down his cheeks and through his fur. He’s shifted. “It’s alright, kit. I’m here.”

“You’re here.” Keith repeats. “I finally found you.” His fingers tighten in the material of his father’s suit. He doesn’t know if he’s ever going to be able to let go.

“Keith?”

Shiro.

Keith lifts his head, and turns, chirping quietly. The others are all staring at him and Ulaz, huddled together on the floor in the middle of the hall.

Ulaz tilts his head, considering them all for a moment. “I suppose I should apologize for not knocking.” The doctor says blandly and Keith giggles quietly, tucking his nose against his dad’s neck.

“Come on, kit. Up.” Ulaz tugs them both to their feet, but Keith doesn’t let go, nor does it seem like Ulaz expects – or wants – him too.

Keith turns to look at the other paladins, rubbing the back of his neck as he shifts back to looking human. “Sorry, um. Guys, I’d like you to meet my dad, Ulaz.”

Pidge gasps. “Oh my god, I thought I heard you say dad!”

Keith laughs, “Yeah. Well.” He turns back to Ulaz. “Dad, I’d like you to meet my friends. This is Pidge,” he gestures to the Green Paladin, who waves.

“Hi! Keith’s told us a lot about you!”

“Hunk,” he points at the Yellow Paladin.

“Hello. Sorry for shooting at you, Mister Keith’s Dad.”

“Lance.” He says with disdain.

“Hey!”

“And, Shiro.” He finishes, gesturing at his mate. “But I think you two have already met.”

“You’re the one who broke me out.” Shiro says quietly, and Keith turns to look at him. So he was right. It had been his dad who broke Shiro out.

Ulaz regards the Black Paladin for a moment, before nodding. “Yes. I did. Glad to see you made it. And,” he looks down at Keith, eyes softening. “That you found Keith.”

Shiro laughs weakly. “Actually, he found me.”

Ulaz raises an eyebrow.

“Dad, Shiro was my friend on Earth, before he got captured by the empire.” Keith says. “He was the only one who I told about, well, everything.”

Ulaz’s other eyebrow lifts to join the first. “You told him? Kit, that could have gone very badly.”

“But it didn’t.” Keith assures. “Shiro would never have told anyone about me.”

“And I never did.” Shiro swears. “Sir, if it weren’t for Keith telling me about the empire, I don’t think I would have survived my year as their prisoner. He saved my life.”

Ulaz eyes him for a moment. “Oh, you would have survived. You wouldn’t have been nearly as _whole_ , but you would have survived. You have that kind of soul, I think.”

“Dad,” Keith says, catching Ulaz’s attention again. “Thank you, for getting Shiro out. I was worried sick about him the entire time he was gone, so thank you.”

“Oh kit, that’s not something you should be thanking me for. I had my own reasons.”

“I know. But, still. Shiro is important to me. So thank you.”

Ulaz raises an eyebrow again, and Keith sees his nostrils flare, then his eyes widen.

“I see.” He hums, giving Keith a knowing look.

Keith groans. “You know what I liked about being on Earth? Being around people who couldn’t smell my emotions. That, that was great. I miss that.”

Ulaz chuckles and looks at Shiro again. “So. You’re my son’s mate.”

Shiro stiffens. “Um.”

Ulaz waves him off with an amused look. “Oh, don’t worry, I’m not the father you have to be worried about. Antok is the one who’s going to try and kill you.”

“Yeah, Keith mentioned.” Shiro sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. Keith snickers.

“Don’t worry, Takashi. I’ll protect you.”

“Oh, you can try, but Antok has been threatening to kill whoever tries to court you since you were six. You’ll have a hard time dissuading him.”

Speaking of Antok. Keith tugs on his dad’s sleeve. “Dad, are the others okay? Papa and Antok and Kolivan? They’re alright, aren’t they?”

Ulaz sighs and runs his fingers through Keith’s hair. “Yes, kit. They’re all fine. It turned out to be a false alarm anyway. Korval somehow managed to… take his own life, before they reached the druids.”

Keith whines and tucks himself against Ulaz’s side.

“He did well. You know Korval, he would have wanted to go out like that, rather than having had betrayed us.”

“I know.” Keith says quietly, then shakes himself. Ulaz purrs quietly.

“Anyway, it’s a pleasure to meet you all,” The doctor says, looking around at all of them again, but as he does, his eyes narrow.

“Those uniforms…” he looks down at Keith, eyes widening. “Voltron?”

Keith beams. “Yeah! We found the Blue Lion on Earth, and she brought us to the castle! And now we’re all paladins!”

“You’re the Red Paladin.” Ulaz says slowly. “Of Voltron.”

“Yeah! Isn’t it great? All the stories you told me when I was little, and now I’m living them!”

Ulaz is looking at him sternly, and Keith wilts. “The same Red Paladin who, only a few quintants ago, decided it would be a good idea to _fight Zarkon single-handedly?_ ”

Keith swallows hard. “Oh shit, you guys heard about that.”

Ulaz cuffs Keith upside the head gently. “Language, kit!”

“Dad, I’m nineteen! I’m old enough to cuss!”

“But clearly not old enough to know not to try and fight ancient, homicidal emperors.” Ulaz growls. “I swear to the gods, kitling, if you weren’t needed to save the universe, I would lock you in your room for the rest of your life!”

Keith whines, and hears Lance snicker. “Ooh, someone’s in trouble.”

Ulaz whirls on Lance, and the Blue Paladin takes a hasty step back. “All of you were reckless! What in the void possessed you to go storming Zarkon’s high command? That was utterly foolish!”

“Hey, I tried to tell them that, but did they listen? No,” Keith mutters.

“Hush, kit. I’m not done yelling at you quite yet.”

Keith sighs. Then tilts his head. “How did you know?”

Ulaz hesitates, then says “We have someone on Zarkon’s command ship. How do you think you escaped that barrier?”

Keith’s eyes widen. “I knew we had to have had help. But, we’ve never managed to get anyone on Zarkon’s ship before.”

“Yes, this is a first. And it’s very, very important that no one knows.” He looks around at all of them sternly.

“Don’t worry, sir, we can keep quiet.” Shiro assures.

“What’s with this ‘sir’ nonsense?” Ulaz says, looking amused. “You’re my son’s mate, and all of you are part of his pack. Just call me Ulaz.”

Keith frowns and tugs on his dad’s sleeve again. “Wait, Dad, who’s on Zarkon’s ship? Is it anyone I know?”

Ulaz suddenly looks uncomfortable. “Well…”

“Paladins! We’ve been trying to contact you! Is everything alright?” They turn to see Allura running up, though she stops when she spots Ulaz. Her eyes narrow, but then she sees Keith pressed against his side, and she relaxes. “Ah. He’s one of yours, Keith?”

“Princess, you have no idea.” Keith says, beaming. “Allura, this is Ulaz, my dad. Dad, this is Princess Allura of Altea.”

“You found one of your fathers,” she says, breaking into a smile and clapping her hands together. “Oh Keith, that’s wonderful!”

Keith purrs and nuzzles further into his dad’s side.

Allura steps forwards and bows. “It is lovely to meet you, Ulaz. Keith has told us a great deal about his fathers, and about the Blade of Marmora.” She straightens, smiling. “I want you to know, you should be very proud of your son. He is an outstanding paladin, and a good man.”

Keith blushes, looking down, and Ulaz chuckles. “That is very good to hear, princess. I believe all parents know, deep down, their child’s full potential, but it is always nice to have those suspicions confirmed. I am also glad he hasn’t been causing you too much trouble.”

“Dad,” Keith mutters.

“Oh, hush, hellion. You know it’s a reasonable assumption to make.”

Keith sighs.

~*~

They all move back to the bridge, where Coran had been pacing anxiously. After introducing the older Altean to his dad, he has to ask.

“So, Dad, remind me how to get into the base that’s here again?”

Ulaz gives him an amused look. “It’s in the space pocket.”

“Oh!” Keith smacks his forehead. “I knew it! I _knew_ this one was the space pocket! But I didn’t want to risk it, because, you know. Boom.” He mimes an explosion, and Ulaz sighs.

“Sometimes I forget you share Thace’s DNA, but then something like this will happen, and remind me.”

Keith laughs.

Ulaz turns to Allura then. “Princess, if you will take the castle straight forwards, you will reach out outpost.

“Right at the Xanthorium clusters?” She asks, eyeing the greenish crystals out the window.

“Right in front of them, actually. The base is hidden in a folded pocket of space. I assure you, I have no intention of blowing up your ship, even if my son was not on board.”

Allura sighs, “Yes, of course. Forgive me.” She edges the castle forwards until they slip into the space pocket and emerge in front of the outpost.

“That was so cool!” Pidge squeals. “How did you do this?”

“It is a device made for us by a genius inventor named Slav.” Ulaz tells her.

“Slav is awesome.” Keith adds. “He’d visit the base when I was growing up. He taught me all kinds of things.”

“Like how to rewire circuit boards so you could turn off the gravity in an escape pod.” Ulaz says, ears twitching in fond amusement.

“I’m still disappointed that’s not the plan that worked. I was proud of that one.” Keith pouts. Then he perks up again. “Slav makes so much cool stuff for the Blade, not just the space pocket. He also made a lot of my childhood toys.”

Ulaz hums. “He always has been quite taken with you.” He turns to the princess. “I need to get back to the outpost so I can inform headquarters I have made contact with Voltron.”

“We can take Red.” Keith says eagerly.

“I want to come! I want to see how they make the space pocket!” Pidge says.

In the end, Shiro, Hunk, and Pidge accompany him and Ulaz to the outpost.

“Are you gonna tell Kolivan you found me?” Keith asks, jumping up on his dad’s shoulders and setting his chin on the top of his head. Ulaz huffs, but doesn’t comment, continuing to type away on the screen in front of him.

“Not yet, I don’t think. We don’t need him worrying about you every time he receives news about Voltron.”

Keith hums. “Fair.”

He glances over at Pidge, and then says “Hey, Dad, do you have any idea what happened to the other two humans who got captured with Shiro? They’re Pidge’s family, and we’ve been looking for them too.”

Pidge’s eyes snap up to look at him, and he smiles at her.

Ulaz hums, brow furrowing. “No, I don’t know, but I do have some prison records here. They might be of some use.”

“Yes, anything would be helpful. Thank you.” Pidge says eagerly.

Ulaz nods. “I’ll transfer the information to the castle.”

Keith slides down off Ulaz’s back and wanders over to the space pocket machine. He brings up the control panel and pokes around a little bit, setting it up so he can access the controls from Red. Maybe it would come in handy, next time they were there. If only so he could find the damn place again.

An arm loops around his waist and there’s warmth pressed up against his side. Keith purrs absently, leaning against Shiro as he finishes making adjustments to the machine’s settings.

“Are you happy?” Shiro asks quietly.

“Oh Shiro, you have no idea.” He sighs, exiting out of the control panel and turning his head so he can tuck himself into Shiro’s neck. “I found my _dad_.” He says weakly. “I’m just… I missed him so much, and now he’s here, and I know my other dads are okay, and it’s just like, all the fear I’ve been carrying over the last three years is just gone. It’s wonderful.”

“I’m glad we found him.” Shiro says, pressing a kiss to the top of Keith’s head. “I know how much you’ve missed them.”

“So much.” Keith whispers.

Then an alarm starts blaring.

“Dad?”

“There’s something coming.” He turns to look at them. “You were tracked.”

Keith hisses. “Dammit. _Dammit_ , we knew those… _things_ keep showing up. We should have been more careful!”

“We’ll worry about how it found us later, right now we need to get back to the castle and get in our lions.” Shiro says. “Let’s move.”

Ulaz stops him as he moves to follow the others. “Kit, here.” He hands Keith a memory drive. “These are instructions on how to get back to headquarters. Just in case we get separated, alright?”

“We won’t.” Keith says fiercely. “I just found you again, I’m not losing you so soon.”

“It’s just in case. Now, go.” He kisses Keith’s forehead, and pushes him towards the door. Keith hurries out to Red, a bad feeling churning in his gut.

~*~

They get back to the castle and into their lions. They form Voltron and wait just inside the space pocket, hoping the _ro-beast_ , as Hunk has named it, doesn’t realize they’re here.

…

_Okay it knows they’re here_.

They go out and fight it, which is ten kinds of not fun, as it keeps sucking in Xanthorium clusters and shooting the energy back at them. At some point, the space pocket deactivates, and Ulaz flies off in the ship housing the machine.

“Dad?” Keith grits, using his lion to swing the sword down at the beast.

“I have an idea. I’ll be back, just keep it busy for a little longer.”

“You heard Ulaz, just keep it distracted!” Shiro calls over the comms.

“Think we’ve got that covered! Now what?” Hunk asks.

They keep dodging, and swinging, and never seem to actually damage the thing. It almost inhales the castle at one point, which is not good.

Just when they’re getting ready to be sucked in themselves…

“Hang on!”

“Dad!” Keith sees the ship come back out of the corner of his eye. “What are you doing?” He calls as the ship passes them, headed straight for the beast.

“I’m going to take it down from the inside.”

“No. No, Dad, you can’t! You’ll die!”

“It’s the only way, kit. We both know it.”

“Dad, please!” Keith feels tears sting at the corners of his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Keith. Tell Thace… well. You know what to tell him. I’m telling you the same. I love you, kit.”

“No. _No!”_ Keith throws the controls forwards, breaking Voltron back into the lions. Then he darts forwards.

_“Keith!”_ Shiro shouts, but Keith turns off his comm. He swings wide, then turns sharply, speeding towards the monster from the side. Red opens her jaws to bite through the front of the ship as they pass in front of it, her momentum is just fast enough to carry them out of the monster’s energy beam safely.

“We got him?” Keith pants, watching the rest of the ship, including the space pocket, get swallowed up by the monster.

Red rumbles an affirmative.

“Good.” Keith pulls up the commands for the machine he’d sent to Red earlier, and activates the power, opening the space pocket up inside the beast. He watches in sick satisfaction as it folds in on itself in a small implosion, then jumps up and runs down to Red’s mouth.

Ulaz is untangling himself from a mass of bent metal and broken glass, but he’s alive, and that’s all that matters to Keith.

“Kit, you-” Ulaz starts but Keith throws himself in his father’s arms before he can finish.

“How dare you. _How dare you_.” Keith sobs. “You were going to-!”

Ulaz purrs loudly, wrapping his arms around Keith securely. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think I had a choice.”

“You _always_ have a choice! You taught me that.” Keith pulls away and wipes at his eyes. “Never do that again, _please._ I couldn’t take it if you died. Please, Dad, _promise me_.”

Ulaz hushes him and pulls him in close. “It’s alright, kit. I’m alright. You saved me. I’m alright.”

“Promise me!”

“Alright, I promise. I won’t do it again. It’s okay, kit, we’re okay. Shh,”

He curls up in his dad’s arms, not even registering as something grips Red and tows them all back to the castle until her jaws open and all the bent metal falls out.

“Keith!”

Keith chirps quietly, not lifting his head, even as he feels Shiro collapse next to him and pat his cheek.

“Is he okay?”

“He’s still shaken, and quite angry with me. But physically, he is fine.”

“Come on, baby, look at me.” Shiro murmurs, and Keith finally turns his head to blink at Shiro blearily. He chirps quietly, but still doesn’t move away from his dad.

Shiro sighs, clearly relieved. “Please don’t scare me like that again.”

“As long as _he_ keeps his promise not to pull that martyring shit again, I won’t.” Keith mutters, poking Ulaz.

Ulaz purrs again. “It’s alright, kit. I won’t. I won’t.”

“Good.” Keith whispers. And starts crying again.

~*~

Keith clings to Ulaz for the rest of the day. And honestly, Shiro can’t blame him. He and Allura discuss the idea that they are indeed being tracked, although when they scan for trackers, none can be found. Though, with Haggar, it’s possible they’re using some other method of tracking all together.

He wanders towards the lounge, where he’d last seen Keith and his father, wishing a goodnight to the others as he passes. The last one is Pidge, who stops him with a hand on his arm.

“You think Keith’s okay?” She asks, concern evident in her voice.

“I think he’ll be alright, once he’s gotten over the shock of today.” Shiro says. “If Ulaz had died, he would have been devastated, and coming so close to that possibility shook him, but he’s going to be fine. Don’t worry.”

She nods, squeezes his arm, and then heads for her room.

Shiro pushes on to the lounge, stepping inside as the doors hiss open. Ulaz is sitting on the sofa, data pad in one hand and his other hand carding through Keith’s hair gently. The hybrid is laying on his side, head pillowed in his father’s lap. He’s sound asleep, but even so, his hand is gripping Ulaz’s thigh.

“How long has he been out?” Shiro asks quietly.

Ulaz’s ear twitches, and he looks up at Shiro, then down at Keith, eyes softening. “About thirty dobashes.” He chuckles quietly. “My leg has gone numb. It’s funny to think I actually missed the feeling.”

Shiro smiles, then crosses the room to sit opposite the Galra doctor. “He really missed you, you know.” Shiro says. “He told me so many stories about all of you, when we were still on Earth. From the look on his face, you’d think the four of you were responsible for hanging the stars in the sky.”

Ulaz huffs. “He thinks too highly of us.”

“No, he doesn’t.” Shiro murmurs. “He just loves you.”

Ulaz sighs and sets the data pad down, looking down at his son. “I know. And we love him too. Enough to die for him, if necessary.”

“But it wasn’t.”

“No. Thankfully.”

“I think it’s going to be good for him, having you here. Having you close. He’s been so worried. He has nightmares about you dying. Hopefully now that he knows you’re all okay, those will go away.”

Ulaz hums thoughtfully, then look up at Shiro with piercing yellow eyes. “You love him.” He says. It’s not a question.

Shiro smiles. “What, did my scent tell you that?”

“No. I can see it in your eyes.” Ulaz says. “You love him very much.”

“More than anything.” Shiro admits readily.

“Even though he is not fully human?”

Shiro looks Ulaz in the eye. “It wouldn’t matter to me even if he was fully Galra. I love Keith because he’s Keith. Because when I first met him, he cried on my shoulder about wanting to go home, and it made my heart break. Because even though he was so careful around people, he was still so open with those of us he considered friends. Because he trusted me enough to tell me what he was, and where he came from. I love him because he never holds anything back, whether in a fight, or about his feelings, or in our relationship. I love him for him. I could care less about _what_ he is.”

Ulaz regards him for a moment, then nods. “Well, I don’t know what the others will say, but I for one think you’re good for him. In the little time I’ve seen the two of you interact, I’ve seen how safe he feels with you. And that is very important. He trusts you, Shiro. So, I’m going to trust you with him.”

“I… thank you.”

Ulaz nods curtly then looks down at Keith again. “I suppose… you should take him to bed.”

Shiro shakes his head and stands. “He’s not bothering you, right? And you’re planning to stay up for a while?”

“Yes.”

Shiro shrugs. “Then I don’t see the point in waking him just yet. Just send him on when you get ready to go to bed. Coran showed you to your room, right? And showed you where we sleep?”

Ulaz nods.

“Alright then.” Shiro stretches and walks towards the door. “Goodnight, Ulaz.”

“Goodnight, Shiro.”

~*~

The door closes behind the Black Paladin, and Ulaz leans back against the sofa, lost in thought. Shiro seems like a good man. He supposes he approves of Keith’s choice. Just then, Keith makes a humming noise in his sleep, and turns so he can bury his face in Ulaz’s stomach. Ulaz resumes combing through the kit’s hair gently, looking him over. He’s grown in the last few years. He’s taller, has more muscle tone. Good to know he’s kept up his training.

The doctor starts purring again, quietly, happy to have his kit, warm and safe, in his arms again. He’s been so worried about Keith, these last few years. Has thought more than once about going to Earth and getting him, but they’d all agreed, Keith would be much safer on Earth. Little did they know that decision would lead to their son being a paladin of Voltron.

Ulaz sighs and picks up the tablet again. It has a catalogue of reports for the missions Team Voltron has done. Seems like these kids were getting good at this. But that really is all they are: kids. Keith isn’t even the youngest, and he’s only nineteen. The Blue and Yellow paladins are eighteen, and the Green Paladin? She’s only fifteen. The same age Keith was when they’d sent him away. He’d looked so scared. He can only imagine how the girl must feel, especially knowing her family is suffering in the hands of the empire.

He had assumed his parental instincts would only ever apply to Keith, but they apparently extend to his son’s pack now as well. The poor things have already been through so much. The entire weight of the universe rests on their shoulders, and Ulaz feels nauseous just thinking about it.

Ulaz leans his head back on the sofa and closes his eyes. He wishes Thace were here. His bondmate was always the best at helping him calm down. Keith makes another small noise, and Ulaz smiles, looking down at his son. Well, Keith was always good at calming him down too.

~*~

A few vargas later, Ulaz can’t focus on the words on the tablet anymore, so he sighs and turns it off, reaching down to shake Keith’s shoulder gently.

“Wake up, kitling.” He murmurs. “Come on now, let’s get you to bed.”

“Dad?” Keith rasps, turning onto his back and rubbing his eyes before blinking up at Ulaz sleepily. “Oh. Wow, it wasn’t a dream. You’re here.”

Ulaz purrs and bends down to nuzzle Keith gently. “I am. Come on, kit, let’s get you to bed.”

Keith chirps sleepily, sitting up so Ulaz can stand. It takes him a minute to get feeling back in his leg, so by the time he turns back, Keith is almost asleep again. Ulaz laughs quietly. Some things never change.

“Kit, you can’t go back to sleep yet. We have to get you to bed.”

“’Kay.” Keith yawns, then holds his arms out. Ulaz huffs in amusement, but acquiesces, bending down to scoop his kit up into his arms.

“You are far too old for this.” He says fondly.

“Nah, I’ll never be too old. I’m your kid.” Keith hums, tucking his face into Ulaz’s neck.

“I suppose that’s true.”

Ulaz adjusts his grip so he has Keith more securely situated, then he exits the lounge and heads for the hall where the paladins sleep.

He stops at the fifth door down, and has Keith press his palm against the reader. The door hisses open quietly.

Shiro is asleep in the bed, turned away from the door. Ulaz winces at the sheer number of scars the young man has. He remembers treating some of them.

Shiro stirs as he approaches, but Ulaz isn’t surprised. It’s probably a conditioned response from his time in the prison. The Black Paladin turns over and blinks up at them sleepily.

“Delivery.” Ulaz says drily, tilting his head down towards Keith.

“Thanks.” Shiro rasps. “C’mere, Keith.”

Keith chirps and lifts his head. “Shiro.”

“Yeah. Come here.”

Keith chirps again, kisses Ulaz’s cheek, then slides out of his arms and crawls into the bed, curling up against the Black Paladin’s side.

“Night, Dad.” Keith says, already drifting off again.

“Goodnight, you two.”

He turns and exits the room, making sure the door shuts behind him. His ear flicks as he hears hushed murmurs from inside the room but leaves before he can make anything out. Just down the hall is the room Coran had told him to use, and he is very ready to use it. Just before he opens the door, he turns and tilts his ears forwards towards Shiro and Keith’s room, listening. All is quiet.

Ulaz smiles, then ducks into his room, door swishing shut behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OF COURSE I AM NOT GOING TO KILL THE DADS ARE YOU GUYS INSANE? I hate major character death! I hate angst (even though I’m forced to write it)! The dads are all going to be FINE. See? Ulaz is fine. By extension, Thace and Antok will be fine. Everything is fine! I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys but I wanted there to be at least a LITTLE tension, you know? But you don’t have to worry anymore. The Dads have Plot Immunity. They’re good. And so is Keith.
> 
> Feel free to yell at me all you want, I'll still be back with more of Mother Hen Ulaz and the Paladins on Sunday! (Keith and Allura running away, Space Malls, all that good stuff)


	3. The Interim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This chapter is disjointed all to hell but it has humor and fluff so that's something.

“Dad!” Keith whines.

“For the last time, Keith, _no_.”

“But it’s been _three years!_ We don’t have to stay, just-!”

Keith jumps for the memory stick containing the coordinates to the base again but Ulaz steps out of the way.

“No. We cannot risk leading one of those creatures, or worse yet, Zarkon himself, to the base. You know that.”

Keith whines again. “Okay, okay, fine. We can’t go, but can we at least call them?”

Ulaz gives him a hard look. “No.”

“Dad!”

“We have no idea how the castle is being tracked. We cannot risk any outgoing communications.”

Keith groans.

Shiro has never seen Keith act like this. He must admit, it’s… kind of hilarious. He’s acting like Ryou when their mom tells them to do their chores.

“Dude, who is that, and what did he do with Keith?” Lance says, eyes tearing up from restraining his laughter.

“This is the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. Keith’s acting like, well, like a teenager. For once.” Pidge says in confused awe.

“Is this what he was like before coming to Earth? Like, is this what he’s actually like?” Hunk asks.

Keith growls. “You guys do know I can _hear you_ , right?”

The other three jump. Shiro laughs quietly.

Ulaz has been with them in the castle for three days now, and Shiro has never seen Keith this happy. It makes him so very glad Keith managed to save the Galra doctor; he hates to think of how devastated Keith would have been if his father died.

Besides the positive impact on Keith’s mood, Ulaz has also been extremely helpful. As mature as they’ve all had to become recently, having another actual adult around is nice (Shiro does not think he counts, he may be in his twenties, but he knows enough to know that he doesn’t know _anything_ ). He’s also taken it upon himself to be the castle’s resident doctor.

“What do we need a doctor for though? Healing pods for the win!” Lance had said.

Ulaz had sighed and looked like he was about to slam his head against the wall. “The healing pods should not be used for non-life-threatening injuries. It’s like any sort of medication: using it too much is bad for you, and it can also become less effective.”

Lance had wilted. “Oh.”

“Besides, I am trained in xenobiology, and I’m _quite_ familiar with human bodies, and how to keep them in one piece.” He’d glanced pointedly at Keith when he’d said that. The hybrid had just snickered. Shiro shakes himself and looks to where Keith is still glaring up at the memory stick in Ulaz’s hands.

“Look, why don’t we go out and help Coran and Allura fix the castle? We took a beating from that last ro-beast.” Shiro says amicably, setting his hand on Keith’s shoulder.

The Red Paladin sighs but nods. “Yeah, okay.”

~*~

Keith gets to go to Olkarion. _Keith gets to go to Olkarion_. Pidge had discovered that the fluffy balls they’d all hit each other with were actually spores with a distress signal. When she’d shown them where on the map it was, Ulaz had hummed.

“Olkarion? We have been getting reports that there’s something going on there. I’m not surprised.”

“You’re familiar with Olkarion, Ulaz?” Coran had asked, perking up.

“Indeed. I’ve studied them quite extensively.”

So the two of them had talked shop, but Keith was actually getting to go to Olkarion! He was so excited.

_Meeting_ the Olkari was awesome. Fighting to get to their king and finding out he was a traitorous bastard? Not so awesome. Keith got pissed and threatened to stab the fucker, and then they had to leave. There was a murder cube, and Pidge got a vie gun, and then they went back to the castle.

And immediately got ambushed by Zarkon’s flagship. The empire kept finding them, and it was starting to get really annoying. 

They are chased by several fleets of fighters, and Allura sling-shots them around a moon to be able to get away. But, as is their luck, the teludav lenses crack, and they’re forced out of their jump, and Allura collapses.

Ulaz checks her over while Coran hovers behind him nervously. The Galra doctor huffs.

“Do not worry, she has merely over-exerted herself.” Ulaz glances around at all of them. “You are all exhausted. We are safe for the moment, and I suggest you all take some time to _rest_.” He looks at Keith and Shiro pointedly. “And I do mean rest, not use this time to train.”

“We wouldn’t have.” Keith mutters. Yeah, they totally would have.

Coran stands, now assured Allura is alright. “While you all take a breather, I’ll go down and check on the main turbine, see what’s going o-uwah!”

 He slips and crashes into the wall beside the door.

“Whoa, are you alright?” Lance asks, they all look at the dent Coran made in the wall. Ouch.

“Oh, I’m fine! Tell you what, I probably just hit a slippery patch on the ground there…s-someone please wipe that up there!”

There is a slick trail of bluish fluid on the ground leading towards Coran. Ulaz stands and sniffs the air.

“You have a slight fever.” The doctor says. “And are sweating heavily.”

Allura hums quietly. “You might have a case of the slipperies.”

“What? No! That’s an old person virus! And I, I’m not old, I’m young.” Coran looks at his hand, which is producing a copious amount of fluid, and hides it behind his back. “Well, young-ish.”

“A virus?” Ulaz asks, frowning. “I’ve never heard of these ‘slipperies’.”

Allura chuckles. “It’s a common Altean virus that occurs… _later_ in life. It’s not harmful,” She says, looking up at the doctor. “And usually only lasts a couple of days, but it causes one’s body to secrete _extremely_ slick fluid.”

Everyone yelps and jumps back with a chorus of disgusted noises. Keith jumps up on Ulaz’s shoulders, eyeing the fluid on the ground warily. Ulaz himself just tilts his head.

“Fascinating.”

“Dude, your dad is a Vulcan.” Hunk whispers.

Keith’s brow furrows. “What in the void is a Vulcan?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain later.” Pidge tells him, yelping and hiding behind Shiro as the trail of fluid oozes closer.

“Perhaps I should take you down to the med bay, Coran.” Ulaz suggests.

“Thank you, but that will not be necessary!” Coran says, flinging his hands up and slinging more fluid around the room, inciting another chorus of “ew”s from the paladins.

 “Yes, it is gross, so it’s a good thing I don’t have it!”

“Coran, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Just let Ulaz look you over, see if there’s something he can do to help.” The princess implores.

“I’m not embarrassed, because I don’t have it.” He says as fluid pours off his arms. “I’m sure our dear doctor has better things to do. Now, I am actually going to leave because I’ve got to fix the main turbine.” He tries to walk away, but the fluid is too slick for him to get any traction, and he ends up sliding out of the room on his ass.

Ulaz sighs. “I am going to go see if he requires any assistance.” He tugs Keith off his shoulders and sets him down next to Shiro. “Now, go rest. All of you.” And with a bow to the princess, he follows the trail of fluid down into the depths of the ship.

~*~

Coran and Ulaz inform them the engines are in no shape to go anywhere, so they really do have some downtime. He hears from Allura that there’s a pool, and apparently Lance has the same idea. Keith hisses quietly but figures they can stay far enough away from each other to be comfortable. And then the lights go out in the elevator, and they both sigh.

Keith climbs up and kicks open the top of the elevator, pulling Lance up so they’re both standing outside it. Keith frowns, staring up the lit shaft curiously.

“Great, how are we gonna get out of here?” Lance whines.

Keith hums, eyeing the width of the shaft and looks over at Lance with a raised eyebrow. “Have you ever seen The Emperor’s New Groove?”

Lance stares at him slack jawed.

“What?”

“ _You’ve_ seen The Emperor’s New Groove?”

Keith shrugs. “I watched a lot of old Disney movies growing up with Papa and Antok.”

Lance sighs. “I cannot believe I am about to do the wall crawl from The Emperor’s New Groove with a purple space furry.”

Keith sighs as well. This was going to be an adventure.

~*~

They make it out, and find the pool, which is on the ceiling. Keith has seen a lot of weird things, but that’s a new one.

Lance shouts an indignant “What the heck!?” upon seeing it, but Keith just raises an eyebrow.

“Well, that’s different.”

Then Zarkon finds them. Again. And they have to outrun him, again.

They hide in a storm that should literally hide them from the view of any sort of tracking, but he finds them again anyway, so they go out in Voltron to give the castle time to try desperately to repair the teludav. And Zarkon nearly wrenches control of the Black Lion away from Shiro again. Turns out, Hunk made some scaltrite cookies, which turn out to be effective temporary replacements for scaltrite _lenses_ , so they manage to get away, while being nearly fried inside the teludav.

Yeah, Ulaz didn’t look all too pleased about it as he was checking them over for scorch marks and treating mild burns.

~*~

Allura is convinced it’s her that Zarkon is tracking, but Keith has another idea. Zarkon’s been after the Blade for years, and there is something _very_ distinctive he could use to track them, if he knew to look for it.

So that night, after everyone goes to sleep, Keith slips out of his and Shiro’s room, and into his father’s, before heading down to the pods.

He runs into Allura when he’s getting ready to board one.

“Princess what are you doing here?”

She falls out of the pod and into his arms. She jumps up and looks away, trying to play it cool.

“Oh, I might ask you the same thing.”

“Nothing. Just, walking. Late at night. Near the pods.”

“In full paladin armor and… is that your Marmora blade? And… Ulaz’s?”

Keith sighs and tugs at the strap of his father’s sheath. “The blades we use? They’re made of luxite.”

Allura’s eyes widen. “Luxite was only ever found on Dibazaal and its moons.”

“I know. We use it for that reason. But, it makes us extremely easy to identify, if someone were to know what to look for. I can’t help but wonder… if Zarkon is using the luxite of our blades to track us down. I have to get them off the ship, to know for certain. You can’t stop me.”

“I’m not going to stop you.” Allura says, expression hardening. “I’m going to join you. I am just as concerned that Zarkon is using my energy to track us. I must know.”

Keith nods and tosses the blades up into the pod.

“Get in.”

~*~

Shiro wakes, and Keith is gone. He wonders if maybe the Red Paladin slipped into Ulaz’s room. That had happened once already, the younger man having woken from a nightmare in which he’d failed to save his father and needing the reassurance. Shiro supposes he’ll see Keith on the bridge.

When Ulaz arrives, Keith isn’t with him.

“Where’s Keith?”

Ulaz raises an eyebrow. “He wasn’t with you?”

Shiro frowns, leaning back against his seat. “I woke up and he was gone. I figured he’d gone to your room.”

“I haven’t seen him since last night.” The doctor says, ears flattening back against his skull.

“Allura’s not here either.” Pidge points out.

“It appears one of the pods launched in the middle of the night.” Coran informs them.

“Kit, what have you done _now?_ ”  The Galra hisses, crossing to stand next to Coran and brings up the security feed. It shows Keith and Allura getting in the pod, before flying it out of the castle.

“Contact the pod.” Shiro sighs.

Coran opens a channel. “Princess, Keith, where are you?”

“Exactly where we should be, far away from the castle.” The princess responds.

“What? Why?” Shiro demands.

“We must know if we are the ones Zarkon is tracking.”

Pidge says something about variables, but it’s lost under Ulaz’s annoyed growl.

“Kit, why on earth do you think Zarkon could be tracking _you_?”

“Well,” Keith says hesitantly. “It’s not me specifically. I’m worried he might be tracking the luxite in our blades.”

Ulaz frowns. “But even if you took your blade with you that would still leave…mine…” Ulaz’s eyes narrow. “Kit, you did _not_.”

“I did. I’m sorry.”

“You took my blade??”

“I had to be sure, Dad!”

Ulaz growls. “I had thought you were over this sort of reckless behavior. Apparently, I was wrong.”

“Keith is made of recklessness, Ulaz.” Pidge says. “As his dad, you should know that.”

The doctor sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“If Zarkon finds you despite our absence, we will know with full certainty he is not using my energy or the luxite blades to track us.” Allura tells them.

“Splitting up the group makes us far more vulnerable. Come back to the castle immediately.” Shiro orders.

“I’m sorry Shiro, we cannot do that.”

“If Zarkon does find us, I can pilot us to safety. We’re in wide open space with plenty of room to maneuver. Plus, we’d be able to outrun him. Pidge added that booster rocket.” Keith points out.

“That thing’s still on there??” Coran squawks.

“We-” Shiro starts to tell them to come back, but Ulaz cuts him off.

“Keith Thace Kogane, you turn that pod around right this instant and get back here.” The doctor growls.

Keith whines over the comm. “Dad, we have to be sure! Neither of us would ever forgive ourselves if we were being tracked because of us.”

“Keith…”

The comm cuts out as the castle shakes.

~*~

Keith sighs and sits back. “When we get back, my dad’s going to kill me.”

Allura huffs. “It sounded to me like he was prepared to kill both of us.”

Keith snorts. “Yeah, well. He’s not picky.”

They drift for about a varga, and Keith checks the radar. “Still no sign of Zarkon.”

“Well, I’m glad I don’t have to wait out here alone.” Allura says, leaning against his side. She looks out at the void with distant eyes. “You understand, I could never live with myself if Zarkon was finding us because of me. I must know. We face such a dire threat from the Galra.”

Keith raises an eyebrow. “Well, sure, the empire is bad, no question, but not all of us are terrible.”

She blushes. “Of course. I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean the Blade.”

“It’s not just the Blade.” Keith says gently. “There are a lot of innocent civilians who never asked for this war. Never asked to be hated. A lot of them are kept in the dark purposefully about what the empire has done. Don’t paint every Galra with the same brush. Not all of them support the empire.”

Allura nods. “I will keep that in mind.”

“That’s all I ask.”

Allura leans her head on his shoulder. It’s a little awkward with both their helmets on, but they make do. “Can you imagine how awkward this would be if I still hated you and every Galra in existence?” She says a moment later.

Keith snorts. “Man, that would _suck_.”

She laughs quietly. “Indeed.”

Another varga later, and something occurs to Keith.

“So, what happens if Zarkon does come after us?”

“What do you mean?” Allura shifts to look up at him from where she’s still resting on his shoulder. “You said you could pilot us to safety.”

“Sure, but, after that. Could you even go back to the group? We can ditch the blades if need be, but, you can’t just turn off your quintessence. And if you don’t, who would pilot the castle, or create wormholes?”

She opens her mouth, and then closes it. “I do not know.”

“We’ll have to find a way to block you from him.” Keith says. “My dad may be able to think of something. Don’t worry, princess. We’re not leaving you out here by yourself, even if you are what Zarkon is tracking.”

“You might not have a choice.” She whispers.

Keith growls. “No. I had to face the loss of my pack twice now, I am never doing it again. We will not leave you.”

Allura hums. “You’re very protective of your packmates.”

“Of course I am.” Keith huffs, feeling a little affronted. “Pack is family. You are all my family. I would no sooner abandon any of you than I would my fathers.”

“Family.” She says quietly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had that.”

“Well. You have us now.”

Soon after, they get a message from Coran. Apparently, it was an unfounded worry. The Galra have found the others on Taujeer.

“We’ll be there in two dobashes,” the princess tells him, but then Keith accidentally blows them up. Whoops.

“It worked for Hunk and Coran.” Keith says indignantly, grabbing Allura and using his jetpack to propel them forwards. “Are you okay?”

“I believe so.”

They try to radio Coran, but no dice, so they have to rely on Keith’s jetpack.

“Ugh, we’ll never get there at this rate!” Keith snarls.

“This was a terrible mistake! Shiro and Ulaz were right, we never should have left them.”

Keith sighs. She’s right.

“Keith!” Allura suddenly gasps. “Do you have yours and your father’s blades?” She glances back at the wreckage.

“Yes,” he releases her with one hand and grabs the strap across his chest. “I have both of them. Don’t worry.” His own is always strapped underneath the chest plate of his armor.

She sighs. “Good. I would have hated for you to have lost them.”

“My dad would have eaten me alive if I’d lost them.” Keith says wryly, and she chuckles.

“I’m not surprised.” A few dobashes later, she calls his name again.

Red is streaking towards them.

“Good girl.” He sighs as she scoops them up in her mouth. He throws himself down in the pilot’s seat and books it towards Taujeer, arriving just in time to destroy the ion cannon that had been aimed at the lions and a ship full of Taujeerians.

“Good to have you back, Keith.” Shiro says warmly over the comm.

“Good to be back.”

“Is the princess with you?” Lance demands.

“Yes.”

“Like, _with you_ with you, or…”

Keith growls and is grateful to Hunk when the Yellow Paladin calls for assistance.

Once they set the ark back up, they form Voltron and destroy the Galra cruiser.

Once they escort the Taujeerians to their colony, they go back to the ship, where Ulaz yells at them for a long time about how foolish and irresponsible they were to have run off like they did.

Keith whines and drops his shoulders in resignation, and Allura does the same. She looks just as chastised as if it were her own father yelling at her. Ulaz tends to have that effect. Thace and Kolivan could attest to that.

“Sorry, Dad.” Keith says quietly when his dad has been reduced to quiet fuming.

“I am sorry as well, Ulaz.” Allura murmurs.

The doctor sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Just… never run off like that again, at least not without telling anyone, alright?”

They both nod, and Ulaz growls quietly before tugging them both in for a hug, scenting them gently. “I am glad you’re both alright.”

Keith purrs, and feels Allura tense briefly before relaxing into the contact. He’s glad she’s starting to get it. She’s family, and not just to him. His pack is his fathers’ pack too.

Oh, and Zarkon’s tracking them through the Black Lion. That’s… really obvious, in hindsight.

~*~

Shiro gives him another, quieter berating in their room that night.

“Never disappear on me like that again, alright?”

Keith hums and tucks his nose into Shiro’s neck. “I’m sorry, Takashi.”

Shiro sighs and tugs him towards the bed. “Sleep.”

Keith raises an eyebrow. “Not tired.” He fiddles with the zipper on Shiro’s vest innocently. “And besides…I owe you a proper apology for scaring you, don’t I?”

Shiro hums. “Well, I suppose we don’t have anywhere to be tomorrow…”

Keith grins and shoves his mate down against the sheets, quickly straddling the Black Paladin.

Shiro raises an eyebrow but goes lax beneath him, scent calm and intrigued. “What are you planning, baby?”

“I thought I might try topping.” He purrs, running his fingers down Shiro’s bare chest. He smirks at the spike of lust in his mate’s scent and relishes the quiet moan he receives.

“I would be up for that.” Shiro breathes.

“I can tell.” Keith hums, grinning and palming Shiro where he’s grown hard beneath his briefs.

“That was a terrible pun.” Shiro’s laugh turns into a hiss as Keith tugs his underwear down and tosses it to the side.

Shiro quickly gets Keith out of his own underwear, and then there is a haze of gentle touches, soft kisses, and the slide of lube. Only when Shiro is a writhing squirming mess beneath him does he press inside.

“Whoa,” he breathes, resting his forehead against Shiro’s shoulder, ears flicking down against his hair. “I see why you like topping so much.”

“And I’m reminded of why I like bottoming.” Shiro sighs, wrapping his arms around Keith’s neck and kissing him gently. “Fuck me, baby.”

So Keith does.

~*~

 The next day, Keith emerges from their room with a smug grin and a stolen shirt.

“Keith! Give me my shirt back!” Shiro hisses, following him out of the room.

“No.”

“Do you really want you _dad_ to see me like this!?” He gestures to his bare torso, covered in bruises and scratch marks.

Keith shrugs. “So what?”

“You’re really okay with your dad knowing we had sex last night.” Shiro deadpans.

“Why not? He knows we’re mates. Sex kind of comes with the territory.”

Shiro sighs. “Galra are way too open with their families.” He mutters.

“Well, humans aren’t open enough with theirs.” Keith counters, and walks into the dining room.

“Really? Again?? I’d think you’d have a little more shame with your father sitting _right here_.” Lance whines when he sees them.

Ulaz glances up with a raised eyebrow, looks at Shiro and then at his son’s smug face, then snorts.

“Thace has been a horrible influence on you.”

Keith purrs happily and sits, piling food onto his plate. Shiro sits next to him, looking like a walking tomato.

Allura rolls her eyes. “Again? Keith, I thought we’d talked about having a little more decorum.”

“Yeah, but you said that when you hated me, so it doesn’t count.” Keith chirps.

She sighs again, but she looks fond, so Keith figures it’s fine.

~*~

Later that day, Coran says he needs to get more scaltrite lenses so they’re off to the mall.

“Wait, which mall?” Keith asks. When Coran gives him the coordinates, he perks up and turns to Ulaz.

“Dad!”

The doctor hums, smiling. “How fortuitous.”

“Dad took me there a lot when I was younger.” Keith explains. “We’ll go with you. We know the layout of it well.”

Lance, Hunk, and Pidge decide to come too. Allura wants to, but even though both Keith and Ulaz swear up and down it isn’t an Unilu swap-moon anymore, Coran is still skeptical.

“What about you, Shiro?” Keith asks.

“I’m going to go down to the Black Lion’s hangar. I need to strengthen our bond.”

Keith growls quietly, then kisses him. “Be careful, okay? Zarkon might be able to reach you when you’re in there.”

Shiro frowns in confusion, but nods. “I’ll be careful. Have fun at the mall.”

Keith grins and kisses him again before following the others out the door. Lance calls “shotgun” (Pidge explains that means he wants to sit up front), and preens about it when they reach the pod, but Ulaz gives him a very pointed look, and the Blue Paladin ends up sitting in the back with them so the doctor can sit up front with Coran. Keith can’t stop laughing at Lance’s pouty face.

When they get to the mall, Coran finally has to admit it’s not nearly as bad as he remembered, and Keith and the others discard their “disguises” as soon as the older Altean takes off.

Ulaz turns to look at them all. “We will meet here in one varga. Be careful.” Then the Glara wanders after Coran. The rest of them split up, and Keith wanders into a couple of shops that might have scaltrite, but no luck. He ends up in the food court at one point and sees a huge line for one place in particular. He walks over to look at their menu, and sees Hunk preparing the food.

“Hunk?”

The Yellow Paladin looks up. “Hey, Keith! I’m just trying to teach Sal here how to cook actual tasty food!” Hunk hooks his thumb over his shoulder at a very intent looking Galra, who seems to be taking notes on what Hunk s doing.

Keith snorts. “Why am I not surprised.” He says fondly. “Alright, well, you only have a varga, so teach fast.”

Hunk salutes him with a chipper “will do!” and Keith wanders towards his favorite shop. He wonders if it’s still there.

It is. Terra. The shop he’d gotten all his Earth memorabilia from. He looks up at the sign in amusement. He’d always wondered why the “a” looked weird, and Vox, the proprietor, had just said it was another way of writing “a” on Earth. Keith now knows it’s the Japanese hiragana “a”.

He walks over and sees Lance and Pidge cooing over some sort of box while Vox stands next to them.

“Hey, guys.”

“Keith! You don’t happen to have any GAC, do you?” Pidge asks, whirling around to look at him with pleading eyes.

“Um, yes.” He looks up. “Hey, Vox.”

The gray alien looks up at him, and then throws out his arms. “Keith! How’s my favorite customer been? Haven’t seen you in a while!”

Keith shrugs. “I actually went to Earth. It was pretty cool.”

Vox nods. “You always said you meant to.”

Lance grabs Keith’s arm. “Wait, you know this guy??”

“Yeah, Dad would bring me here every year for my birthday. It’s where I got this.” He gestures to the jacket he always wears.  “I’ve known Vox for years.” He peers inside and waves. “Hey, Kaltenecker.”

The cow moos.

“These are friends of yours, Keith?” Vox asks, eyeing Lance and Pidge.

“Yep.”

“Well, any friends of Keith’s are friends of mine. I’ll give you two a discount. Only a thousand GAC.”

“It’s a deal!” Pidge crows and sets the box down, grabbing Lance’s hand. “Come on, I have an idea. Thanks, Keith!”

She drags the Blue Paladin away and Keith sighs. He has no idea what that was about, but he goes inside and buys a shirt that says “NASA” on it, smirking. He’d always wondered what it meant. Now he knows.

When he comes out, Pidge and Lance are back, soaking wet, but they have a thousand GAC.

They get their videogame, and just as they leave (with Kaltenecker) Hunk shows up, being chased by security.

Then they run.

“What’s happening??” Lance asks.

“He thinks we’re pirates!” Hunk shouts.

Keith tugs them around a corner and runs smack into Coran and Ulaz.

He can hear the security guy coming, and so looks up at his dad.

“Code 32.” He tells him.

Ulaz blinks at him in surprise, before sighing.

~*~

One moment, Varkon, Emperor Zarkon’s loyal, brave, handsome second-in-command had been on the tail of some devious pirates. Then next thing he knows, he’s being chewed out.

He had rounded the corner after the pirates and had come face to face with a crying Galra child and his very irate father.

“You! What do you think you’re doing? You scared my son to death!” The man snarls.

“Uh, I…”

“Here he was, just trying to play with his friends, and you had to go and start chasing them! How dare you threaten my child!”

People are looking at them now. Whispering. The poor kid cries harder. Varkon can see the surprised faces of the pirates standing behind the man.

Oh dear.

“I, I’m so sorry, sir, I thought they were…pirates…”

The man raises an eyebrow. “Oh, so you’ve never heard of children playing pirate?”

Oh, he messed up.

“I am so sorry.” His ears droop. Oh no. he made an innocent little kid cry. Zarkon would never be proud of him now.

The father huffs and lifts the still crying boy up into his arms. “Well, I certainly hope so! You’re lucky I have to go calm him down, or I’d be demanding to speak to your boss!” he turns and nuzzles the boy. “Come now, kitling, how about I take you and your friends out for cake? Doesn’t that sound nice?”

The boy sniffles and nods.

The father glares at him one last time before curling his fingers.

“Come, kits. Cake time, on me.” The shell-shocked children follow the father towards the front doors, and exit the mall, another not-pirate following close behind them.

Varkon feels _terrible._ How could he have scared those poor kids? He would have to be more careful.

Although, he could have sworn all the kids he’d been chasing were the same species, and none of them had been Galra.

Perhaps he needed his eyes checked.

~*~

As soon as the mall doors shut, Keith started laughing, wiping away the tears.

“That was _awesome_.” He snickers.

Ulaz sighs and sets him down, but Keith just keeps laughing. The other paladins are still stunned.

“How the hell did we get away with that.” Lance says numbly.

“Oh, we’ve done it before.” Ulaz says, shrugging, then turning to Coran and taking the stack of scaltrite lenses the two of them had found.

“Yeah,” Keith says, straightening and smothering more giggles, ears twitching in amusement. “I told you, when I shift to look Galra, I look about twelve to them. And Galra can’t _stand_ to make a child unhappy. Children are super important, and an adult would rather die than hurt one. So we’ve used my size to our advantage on numerous occasions. And it’s always _hilarious_ watching people backpedal.”

Ulaz sighs again. “Care to explain what just happened, kit?”

“I’ll explain on the way back.” Keith grins. Fooling the Galra would never get old.

~*~

They get back and recount the tale to Allura and Shiro, who are both highly amused.

“How’d it go with the Black Lion? Did you find a way to bond with her?” Keith asks when he’s done and they’ve told them about acquiring the lenses.

Shiro sighs, and Keith realizes suddenly how _tired_ his mate looks. “Yes, I did. And now we need to get moving.”

Keith frowns. “To where?”

Shiro turns to look at him, and smiles. “We’re heading to the Blade of Marmora’s headquarters. We’re taking you home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I could have smoothed this chapter out more but it's late and I wanted to get it posted. But hey, Wednesday is Blade of Marmora, with 1000% less angst aside from Shiro nearly dying via overprotective fathers. See you all Wednesday!


	4. The Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you want a long reunion chapter? I give you 8k of reunion chapter. Have fun!

Keith can’t stop shaking. It would take Coran a quintant to install the lenses and align them properly, but after that…

They were going home. After almost four years, Keith was finally going to go home.

He sits in the observation room, not looking out at the stars, but looking up at the projected star map he and Kolivan had made. He’d be seeing those stars in person again, in just twelve vargas.

“Kit, you should be in bed.”

Keith looks up to see his dad enter the room.

“I will, I just…I can’t believe it, Dad. I’m… I’m going _home_.” He feels himself shift. He lets it happen, ears folding back against his skull. “ _We’re_ going home. I just…”

Ulaz sits down beside him, and Keith climbs over to curl up in his father’s lap.

“I know.” Ulaz say quietly, nuzzling Keith’s hair gently.

“I’ve missed everyone so much.” He whispers, burying his face in his dad’s neck.

“And they’ve missed you too.” Ulaz murmurs, rubbing Keith’s back and purring. “Don’t worry, kit. Pretty much everyone you will want to see is there. I promise.”

But some of them wouldn’t be. Keith knows that. But as long as his dads are okay… he supposes that is all he could ever have hoped for.

Keith closes his eyes and breaths in his father’s scent.

He’s going home.

~*~

He slips into bed next to Shiro a little while later, and the older man turns to face him.

“I didn’t mean to wake you.” Keith murmurs guiltily.

“You didn’t. I was waiting up for you.” Shiro holds out an arm and Keith tucks himself against his mate’s side, purring quietly.

“How are you doing?”

Keith hums, nuzzling Shiro’s shoulder absently. “I’m excited, of course I am, but I’m also… strangely nervous. I don’t know why. It’s my home. I know it well, I know everyone there well. I’m just…”

“You’re worried about who’s not going to be there anymore.” Shiro murmurs.

“Yeah.”

Shiro is quiet for a long moment, carding his fingers through Keith’s hair absently. “Tell me about the base.”

Keith smiles. “It’s awesome. It’s carved into a meteor, and it’s _huge_. I spent the majority of my life there, and I’m still not sure I saw every room in it. And believe me, I was capable of getting into any room.” He says smugly.

“You said all the Marmora outposts have tricks to getting in. I’m assuming the main base does too?”

Keith grins. “I suppose you could say that.” He snickers quietly.

Shiro raises an eyebrow. “Does that mean you actually remember how to get into the base?”

“Hey! I remembered how to get into the outpost! I just, wanted to make sure I was right, or else we would have blown up.” Keith huffs and shifts over so he’s draped across Shiro’s torso. The Black Paladin huffs at the sudden weight but doesn’t object.

“So you do remember?” Shiro presses, arms wrapping around Keith’s back.

Keith sighs and ducks down to bite Shiro’s neck. “Yes, Takashi. It’s a path I’ve flown a thousand times since I was twelve years old. I think I can get us in. And if you’ll remember, my dad is with us. He could get us in even if I couldn’t.”

Shiro hums in amusement and kisses his forehead. “Just checking.”

Keith growls playfully and bites Shiro again. “Ass.”

Shiro hums again, settling back against the pillows and closing his eyes, tempting Keith to do the same.

“So, what exactly is it protecting the main base?” Shiro murmurs. “It’s got to be impressive security, all things considered.”

Keith grins. “Oh, it is.”

“You aren’t going to tell me?”

“You’ll see tomorrow. But believe me, it’s pretty impenetrable. You’ll be blown away.”

“I’m vaguely concerned.” Shiro hums, already half asleep.

Keith just purrs again, settling more comfortably against Shiro’s chest and closing his eyes. Shiro’s really good at making him forget his worries.

~*~

Keith is up early, dragging Shiro with him to the kitchen and scarfing down the food Hunk prepares them, barely tasting it. He’s fidgety and nervous and excited and can’t stay still. When they get up to the bridge, he paces back and forth for several long minutes before Ulaz picks him up under his arms (Keith chirps in surprise) and plops him down in Shiro’s lap.

“Stay.” Ulaz commands, then goes back over to Coran’s station and plugs in the memory stick, giving the older Altean access to the base’s coordinates.

Keith chirps again and curls into Shiro’s warmth, burying his face in his mate’s neck and purring to try and calm himself down.

Shiro’s fingers comb through his hair, and he calls for Allura to take them through the wormhole. Keith takes a deep breath.

“Coran, how long until we reach the Blade of Marmora’s headquarters?” Shiro asks when they drop out of the wormhole.

“According to the coordinates Ulaz just gave me, we should be there in a few dobashes.”

“I can’t wait to see it!” Pidge says from somewhere behind him. “I mean, you guys were able to fold space-time, and that was just at an outpost!”

“Hm, the space taco. It left us too soon.” Hunk sighs.

“Well, sure, but my point is, imagine how amazing the home base is going to be!” Keith feels Pidge poke his shoulder. “Right, Keith? It’s gotta be impressive!”

Keith purrs and lifts his head to nip at Pidge’s finger. She glares at him half-heartedly while Hunk rambles on about space food.

“You okay?” She asks, looking at his expression.

He hums and sits up, swinging himself out of Shiro’s lap. “Yeah, just… nervous, I guess. And excited. I’m feeling a lot of things right now.”

“I get it.” She says, and takes his hand, squeezing.

Shiro reaches back and grips Keith’s other wrist. “We’re almost there.”

Keith sighs, and looks out the window.

It only takes another dobash before the base comes into view. Keith’s breath hitches.

Home.

“Take us in slowly.” Shiro says, and Coran winces.

“That might prove the tiniest bit of a challenge.”

“Wh-” Shiro stands to get a good look at the base, and his jaw drops. So does everyone else’s.

Keith snickers. “Told you you’d be blown away.” He hums, bumping Shiro’s shoulder.

Ulaz rolls his eyes.

“Is… that a black hole?” Hunk chokes.

“No, no no no no.” Coran assures. “It’s _two_ black holes. And a giant blue star.”

“That’s not better.” The Yellow Paladin says weakly.

Keith can’t stop giggling at everyone’s faces. They all look so stunned.

“No kidding. Just inside a black hole, the temperature is one millionth of a degree above absolute zero. But just outside of that it’s hundreds of millions of degrees Celsius.” Pidge murmurs.

“Keith, your home is a death trap.” Lance says, still staring.

Keith purrs.

“Where is the base?” Allura asks.

“In between those three deadly celestial objects.” Coran zooms in and, there’s the base. It doesn’t look any different from the last time Keith was here. He chirps quietly, and leans against his dad, who’s come up on his other side.

“The perfect defensive position.” Pidge muses.

“And the perfect trap, should anyone who shouldn’t find their way inside.” Allura hums.

“How the hell do we get in?” Lance asks.

“There’s a small window where the solar flares die down enough to allow safe passage, but the route is very narrow. Straying off it even a slight amount, and you’ll be sucked in to the black hole, or burnt by the star.” Ulaz says, highlighting the route on the map.

Before anyone can say anything to that, a window pops up on the screen, and a calm voice says, “Identify yourself.”

Keith’s brow furrows. Is that Karista?

Ulaz looks at Shiro and waves him forwards.

Shiro startles before stepping forwards. “Open a hailing frequency, Coran.” Then says clearly, “We are the Paladins of Voltron, sent here by Ulaz.”

There is a pause, and then the screen blinks. “Two may enter. Come unarmed.” Then the frequency cuts out. There is another pause, and then Keith turns to Ulaz.

“Was that Karista’s voice?”

Ulaz hums, ear flicking. “Yes. She must be having a bad day. I’ve never heard her sound _quite_ that robotic.”

Keith hums, then turns to Shiro. “We’re going to ignore both of those requests.” He tells the Black Paladin. “Because obviously, I’m going, and Dad is going. And you’re coming with us.”

Shiro raises an eyebrow. “I am, huh?”

“Duh.” Keith rolls his eyes. “And we’ll be armed because we’ll have our blades, and, well, your _actual_ arm.”

“You are determined to ignore Kolivan at every turn, aren’t you?” Ulaz sighs.

“He’s used to it.” Keith shrugs.

“They’ve sent us the exact path you just showed us, Ulaz.” Coran informs them. “But it looks like it’s only open for another varga because of the solar flares, and then it will be closed for two quintants.”

“They’re gonna close it for two years?” Hunk exclaims.

“Two days.” Pidge corrects.

“That will give Keith enough time to reconnect with his fathers, before we have to get down to business.” Allura says, nodding. “We will all join you when the path reopens.”

Keith chirps and crosses the room to scent her in thanks.

“Alright.” Shiro says when Keith pulls back. “Suit up, Keith. We’ll meet you in Red’s hangar.”

~*~

Keith and Shiro arrive before Ulaz, and Keith goes about getting Red ready. He’s very giddy. And still nervous. Shiro laughs quietly, and Keith realizes he’s been purring for the past five dobashes non-stop.

“You’re going to have to learn some form of control if you’re going to lead this group someday.” Shiro says fondly, but Keith frowns.

“Lead the group?”

“When we were stranded, I told you that if anything ever happens to me, I want you to lead Voltron.”

Keith’s head whips around to stare up at Shiro in shock. “I thought you were just delirious with pain! Why would you make me the leader?”

“Because I know what you’re capable of.” He ruffles Keith’s hair gently. “If you can learn some self-discipline.”

Keith shakes his head. “Why are we talking about this? Nothing is going to happen to you.” he growls, yanking on his helmet.

“It’s just in case. I know you can do it, but you need to learn some impulse control. When you and Allura ran off, you put all of us in jeopardy. If you’re going to be a leader, you’ve got to get your head on straight.”

Keith sighs. “I already said I was sorry for that.”

“I know.”

“I still think this is a stupid discussion. You’re not going anywhere.” Keith mutters.

Ulaz arrives then, and whatever else Shiro would have said is forgotten, and Keith is back to being very excited. He tears out of the hangar and Red lets out a roar, clearly attuned to his good mood as he rushes towards the opening.

“Careful, kit.” Ulaz cautions, griping the back of the pilot’s seat.

“Don’t worry, Dad. Papa flew me through here a million times. I can do this in my sleep!”

Ulaz makes a strangled noise, and Keith winces. “Yeah, he also told me to never say that in front of you or you’d have an aneurism.”

“Is that what this is?” Ulaz groans, leaning his head on the seat. On Keith’s other side, Shiro laughs.

There is no incident getting through the passage, and once Keith reaches the other side, his heartrate picks up. He sets Red down on the meteor. On his home, and she lets them out. He stands just inside her mouth for a long moment, just, staring at the ground.

Ulaz places a hand on his shoulder.

“The first time you came here,” his dad murmurs, “you were tiny, and scared, and crying. I had no idea what I was in for, taking you out of Antok’s arms that day. But I am so, so glad you came to us. I cannot imagine my life, any of our lives, without you.”

“And then I left, pretty much the same way I came.” Keith whispers. “Scared, and crying.”

“But less tiny.” Ulaz hums, nuzzling Keith’s hair. “And now, you’re back.”

Keith huffs a laugh. “I’m back.” He looks up at Ulaz. His father’s face is covered by the mask, but he knows he’s being looked at with exasperated fondness. “I said I would come home.”

“Yes. You did.”

Keith takes a deep breath, and steps onto the meteor.

He looks up, at stars he’s memorized a thousand times over, and breathes a sigh of relief. Home. Behind him, Red sits up, and her barrier activates. Ulaz and Shiro come to stand on either side of him.

“So how do we get inside?” Shiro asks.

Keith hums. “Just wait.” He looks towards where he knows the elevator is hidden. He wonders who will come to greet them. If it will be someone new, or someone he knows.

He gets his answer a moment later.

The elevator opens, and out rise two hooded Blade members. One is whipcord thin, female, Keith thinks, and standing slightly behind the other Blade: a large, imposing figure, hands clasped behind his back.

Keith chokes.

“Oh my god.” He hears Shiro gasp. He knows the man in front looks intimidating, even scary, to others. But not to Keith. He’s never been scary to Keith.

The man in front steps forwards, off the platform and towards them.

“One of our own is with you.” he says, and his voice sends a shock through Keith’s system. “Why?”

Keith steps forwards before either of the others can speak, and he removes his helmet, meeting the masked man’s eyes.

The man goes very, very still.

Then Keith drops his helmet and sprints towards him. He hears Shiro try to call out to him, but Ulaz must shush him. Keith is too focused on his goal to worry about it.

The man drops into a crouch, arms held out. Keith throws himself at the man, and he is caught effortlessly, just like he always is.

The man rumbles out a purr, pressing his forehead to Keith’s. “Hello, little one.”

Keith laughs breathlessly, legs wrapping tightly around the lieutenant’s waist as tears gather in the corners of his eyes. “Hi, Antok.”

Antok holds him a little tighter, and Keith chirps when he feels his father’s tail wrap around his wrist, squeezing gently.

“I told you we would see you again.” The lieutenant says quietly.

“Yeah.” He tucks his face into Antok’s neck, clinging to him.

“Welcome home, Keith.” One of Antok’s arms is still holding him up, while the other strokes up and down his back soothingly. He is reminded of countless nights when he was lulled to sleep exactly like this, in these arms.

Keith chokes out a raspy purr and bites at Antok’s shoulder. “Yeah. I…I’m home.”

His breath is starting to come short. The air on the outside of the meteor is very thin. He probably shouldn’t have run, and the crying isn’t helping either.

“I see your impulsiveness has not abated while you have been away.” Antok huffs, and then he’s walking over to where Ulaz now has Keith’s helmet.

“Will you never stop being reckless?” the doctor huffs, handing Keith the helmet when he reaches for it.

“Sorry, Dad.”

Antok stills. “Ulaz?”

“Hello, Antok. Nice to see nothing blew up while I was away.”

“We thought you were dead.” The lieutenant says quietly. “We heard about the Thaldicon base, and we didn’t hear from you after…”

Ulaz waves a hand. “There were some… complications. But no, I did not die. Our little hellion saw to that.”

Keith chirps again and swings himself up so he’s sitting on Antok’s shoulders, pulling his helmet on. “Damn right.” He mutters, pressing his chin to the top of Antok’s head.

“So, no. I’m not dead. I’m here with our nuisance of a child and the rest of the paladi- wait. You thought, I was dead, for two cycles.” Ulaz growls quietly. “Oh Antok, tell me you didn’t.”

Keith’s eyes widen. Oh no.

“Of course we did.” The lieutenant says. “We believed you were dead. It’s protocol. And he had to know.”

Ulaz growls louder. “But you _know_ how he gets when he’s distraught! You remember how he was for those first few missions after Taza died! If Keith hadn’t been just a baby, he would have gotten himself killed, and now…” the doctor cuts himself off. “Take me to Kolivan. I need to yell at him.”

“What’s going on?” Shiro asks, and Keith looks down to see his mate’s bewildered face.

“Oh, well, it’s protocol that when someone dies-”

“No, I mean, I can’t understand a word any of you are saying.”

Oh, right. “Yeah, um, all translators are disabled on the base. It’s easier for us to communicate securely that way.”

“Oh, I forgot to warn you about that. Sorry, Shiro.” Ulaz says, wincing.

“So, you were speaking Galran?”

“Yep.” Keith chirps.

Shiro turns to Ulaz. “Which means… just now, you spoke _English?”_

“Yes.” Ulaz says, shrugging.

“All my dads learned to speak it. They wanted me to be able to have both of my native languages.” Keith explains.

Speaking of, Antok glances down at Shiro. “Who is this?”

Ulaz waves a hand in Shiro’s direction. “This is Shiro, the Black Paladin of Voltron.”

Antok hums. “Paladins of Voltron?” he glances up at Keith, then looks at his outfit, then up at Red. “You are the Red Paladin of Voltron?”

Keith winces. “Ah, yeah. And, please don’t yell at me about the Zarkon thing. Dad already did that.”

Antok huffs, tail flicking. “I suppose a dressing down from Ulaz is enough.”

“Thank you.”

Antok resumes speaking in English, for Shiro’s sake. “Let us get inside.”

He turns and walks back to the platform, Keith still sitting atop his shoulders. When they reach the elevator, the other masked Blade reaches up and ruffles Keith’s hair.

“Good to see you again, little guy.”

Keith lights up. “Rovan!”

The captain laughs. “Paladin of Voltron, huh? Man, you really do want to run your dads into early graves.”

Keith snickers quietly.

After the elevator descends, and Rovan departs, the four of them heading towards the main hall.

But before they take two steps, Antok stops, inhaling sharply, then whirling around to face Shiro.

“You-”

“Oh no.” Ulaz sighs, and tugs Shiro back. “Antok, no.”

“What’s happening?” Shiro asks, bewildered.

“Antok just caught your scent. All over me.” Keith supplies.

Shiro stills. “…Oh.”

“He dares assume he’s good enough for our kit?” Antok growls.

“Antok, please, let it go.” Keith groans, wrapping himself around Antok’s head, blocking the lieutenant’s sight.

“Never. I swore long ago that anyone who thought themselves worthy enough to court you would pay _dearly_.” Antok growls, tugging at Keith’s arms.

Keith can’t help but laugh. “For the millionth time, I am not some perfect angel child!”

Antok stills. “…what is an angel?”

Keith waves a hand. “It’s an Earth thing. Some sort of pure, otherworldly creature of virtue.”

The lieutenant tilts his head in consideration, and then nods. “Yes, this is an accurate description of you.”

“No it’s not!” Keith groans.

“Are they always like this?” Shiro whispers.

“No. Usually it’s much worse.” Ulaz hums in amusement.

“Just, don’t kill my mate, okay? I like him.” Keith urges.

The lieutenant huffs, tail flicking if agitation. “You have just returned home, so I will refrain. For now.”

“Thank you.” Keith purrs, and releases his father’s head.

Once he can see again, Antok turns and resumes walking down the hall, Shiro and Ulaz following, the former from a safe distance. Keith tilts his head when they get close and drops down to cling to Antok’s back so he will be out of sight of anyone in front of the lieutenant.

“Keith?” Shiro asks.

“Shh,” he grins. This would be fun.

They enter the main hall a few ticks later, and Keith can tell by the scent there are several Blade members standing against either wall. The room goes very quiet and very still when they enter, and Keith hears footsteps as someone approaches from the front dais.

“I am Kolivan, leader of the Blade of Marmora.”

Keith’s breathing hitches quietly, and his fingers dig harder into the back of Antok’s suit.

“My name is Shiro, and I am a paladin of Voltron.” Shiro says evenly. “It’s nice to meet you, sir. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Keith hears Kolivan huff. “And where would you have heard of me?”

Shiro smiles. “A few places, actually.”

There is a pause, probably as Kolivan looks at Antok for clarification, and Keith feels the lieutenant shrug minutely.

“Very well. I believe I told you that you could bring two people. Why did you come alone?”

“I didn’t. Two of your own people came with me.”

Before Kolivan can ask, Keith drops down from Antok’s back and steps around him, catching the leader’s attention. Before he can say anything, Keith pulls off his helmet and shakes his hair out of his eyes.

Kolivan chokes, and Keith is sure if the man wasn’t wearing his mask, he’d see him gaping.

“Surprise.” He says, sweeping his arms out. “I’m home.”

The room goes even more quiet. Kolivan is staring at him. Then he growls, and shoves back his hood, deactivating his mask so Keith can see his scowl.

“You absolute little _brat_.” He growls. But then he steps forwards and Keith meets him halfway, throwing his arms around his father’s shoulders. Behind them, Keith can hear the other masked Blades whispering excitedly.

_“It’s Keith!”_

_“Keith’s home!”_

_“Who is Keith?”_

_“He’s the leader and Antok’s son! They and Major Thace and Doctor Ulaz raised him here on base!”_

_“I can’t believe it, Keith’s back!”_

Keith tunes it all out, focusing on his father’s arms around him. He really is home.

“You little menace.” Kolivan says, but he’s purring, arms tightening around Keith’s torso. “Was the dramatic flair really necessary?”

Keith laughs, tucking his nose into Kolivan’s neck. “Hey, you know me. I share DNA with Papa.”

Kolivan huffs. “Fair point.” He pulls back and gives Keith that exasperatingly fond look he knows so well and presses their foreheads together. “You look good, menace.”

Keith hums. “And you haven’t changed a bit. You’re still the super grumpy dad that I know and love.”

Kolivan huffs a laugh. “Watch it you little brat.” Then he pulls back and raises an eyebrow. “Do I even want to know how you managed to get all the way here from Earth?”

Keith shrugs. “The Castle of Lions.”

Kolivan balks. “Y- You…”

“I’m kind of the Red Paladin. Surprise, again.”

The man groans and his head lands heavily on Keith’s shoulder. “I should have known. Only you would be stupid enough to try and fight Zarkon himself with no back up.”

“I had back up.” Keith mutters, nosing Kolivan’s temple. “They were just… occupied, at the time.”

“I have said this a million times over the years, and I will say it a million more: you are going to be the death of me.” Kolivan mutters.

Keith giggles.

“You know, menace, I missed you, I really did. Can you go back to where you came from now?” The leader straightens finally, and Keith wastes no time hopping up on his shoulders, causing the leader to huff. “You are far too old for this.”

“Antok doesn’t think so.”

“Antok will _never_ think you’re too old for this.” Kolivan looks up and glares at his bondmate. “Thanks for the warning, by the way.” He says sarcastically.

Antok shrugs a shoulder. “He wanted to surprise you.”

Kolivan sighs. “He’s been back for all of ten dobashes and you’re already wrapped around his finger again.”

“When was I ever not?”

“At least you’ve started to acknowledge it.” Kolivan frowns then and looks at Shiro. “Okay, the menace I understand. But you said two…?”

Ulaz shoves back his hood and deactivates his mask then, glaring at Kolivan. The leader’s ears fold back against his head.

“Ulaz?”

“Kolivan.” Ulaz growls. “I cannot believe you decided it would be a good idea to tell Thace I was dead. What were you thinking!?”

“He had to know.” Kolivan says weakly, still staring at the doctor like he’s seeing a ghost. “He’s your bondmate, and we thought you were dead. We couldn’t keep something like that from him. He… he deserved to know. To hear it from us.”

“You know how he is when he’s grieving.” Ulaz snarls. “You know he gets reckless! He almost lost a limb on the first mission you sent him on after Taza’s death, how do you think he’ll fare thinking I’m dead and that his other reason for living is several galaxies away??” The doctor waves his arm at Keith, who chirps quietly.

“We didn’t know, Ulaz. We had every reason to believe you were dead. We grieved. We knew we had to tell Thace. He never would have forgiven us otherwise.”

Ulaz sighs again and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Call him up. I need to talk to him. Let him know I’m alright.”

“That… may not be possible right now.”

Keith frowns. “Wait, wait, where _is_ Papa?”

Kolivan looks at him with wide eyes before looking back at Ulaz. “You mean, you didn’t tell him?”

Ulaz clenches his jaw. “Unlike some people, I know it’s better to not divulge distressing information during an intense mission. Keith is a paladin of Voltron; telling him would have distracted him, especially since I couldn’t tell him Thace’s current status.”

Keith drops from Kolivan’s shoulders, still gripping his sleeve, and looks up at his dad. “Dad, where’s Papa?”

Ulaz sighs and crosses his arms. “Kit, you remember how I told you we finally managed to get someone on Zarkon’s ship? Someone who lowered the barrier for you, so Voltron could escape?”

Keith’s eyes widen. “Oh gods. Papa’s on Zarkon’s command ship.”

“Working directly under Zarkon himself.” Ulaz confirms.

“Well, technically he’s working for Haggar right now.” Kolivan says. “After Voltron escaped, they accused someone else of being a spy.”

“I would assume that’s the beast that almost killed me.” Ulaz sighs.

“Thace has been promoted to commander and put in charge of investigating the sabotage. He’s been having trouble staying in touch with us because of this, but last we heard, he was fine.” Kolivan assures.

Keith chirps and turns stepping forwards and reaching out. Shiro catches him. Of course he does. He buries his face into his mate’s chest, feeling his shift prickling beneath his skin.

“He’ll be okay.” Shiro murmurs. “You told me he’s the best at what he does, right? He’ll be okay.”

“I know. I _know_ , but Shiro, he-”

“He’s going to be alright. Don’t worry, baby, it’s going to be alright.”

Kolivan’s scent spikes in surprise. “Wait.”

Keith turns his head to see Kolivan staring at him and Shiro.

“Wait, wait, you… you have a mate. Oh my gods. You go to Earth for three years and cause what I’m guessing is endless amounts of trouble, and you come back with a mate.  Who happens to be the Black Paladin, and the former Champion of the Arena. You don’t do things by halves, do you, menace?”

“When have I ever?” Keith mutters, nosing Shiro’s neck. Though to be fair, Shiro was neither of those things when they started courting, but, details.

“Fair enough.” Kolivan huffs. “I’m amazed Antok hasn’t killed him yet. And wouldn’t _that_ just be a diplomatic nightmare.”

“I would never.” Antok says placatingly, placing a hand on his bondmate’s shoulder. “Keith only just got home. I’m patient, I’ll wait.”

Keith laughs weakly as Shiro’s scent changes to vague unease. “Don’t worry, Takashi. I’ll protect you.”

The leader sighs and rubs at his temples. “Ah, a Keith headache. I’d almost forgotten what that felt like.”

Keith smiles.

“Thace will be alright, kit.” Ulaz murmurs, running his fingers through Keith’s hair. “We’ll try to get in touch with him. Why don’t you show Shiro around?”

Keith knows they don’t want him to worry, and he shouldn’t. but if Papa thinks Dad is dead…

He shakes his head and grabs Shiro’s hand. “Come on, Takashi. You showed me your home, now let me show you mine.”

Shiro smiles and squeezes Keith’s hand. “Lead the way.”

~*~

Keith drags Shiro all over the base, starting with the med bay.

“I spent the first year on base right here, in that room.” He says, pointing to the examination room he had occupied.

“Because you wouldn’t choose between Ulaz and your papa.” Shiro recalls.

“Yep!”

Then to the operations deck.

“This is like the bridge on the castle. It’s where shit gets done.”

“Keith?”

Shiro looks up. That sounded like the voice from over the comms that had contacted them on the ship. A Galra woman is standing, sliding a headset off her delicately pointed ears.

Keith looks up at her and beams. “Karista!” he walks towards her and wraps her in a hug, standing on tip-toes to scent her. “I thought that was you over the comms! You sounded like a robot.”

The woman – Karista – laughs softly, scenting the boy back. “Did I? Oh dear. I’ve been fairly stressed all day, Rovan says I need to relax, but there’s only so much I can do.”

“I saw Rovan when we first came in! I’m glad the both of you are alright.”

“And I am glad you are as well.”

Shiro is introduced to the woman – one of the few outside Keith’s fathers who knew about his evacuation to Earth – and then Keith is dragging him to the training deck.

“I spent a lot of time here during my teenage years.”

“Like the time you floored Antok.”

Keith beams. “Yeah. I’ve never been prouder of myself.”

He gets dragged to a bunch more places: a workshop in the lower levels, Kolivan’s office, a closet – _the_ closet – and finally, they stop in front of a door.

“And this,” Keith says quietly, looking up at the door. “This is our quarters.” Then he places his palm on the nearby scanner, and the doors hiss open.

Shiro steps inside and looks around. The main area holds the living space, with a couch and a few armchairs, the large kitchen, and a round dining table with five chairs. Off to the left are two doors, which Keith darts over to. He points to the one closer to the front door, which is a little smaller.

“That’s Kolivan’s home office. We have to drag him out of it constantly for dinner.” He points at the other door. “That’s Kolivan and Antok’s room. Antok has to drag Kolivan in there by force on a semi-regular basis. Kolivan is even more of a workaholic than you are.” Keith grins, and Shiro smiles fondly. Keith looks so happy here.

The hybrid darts over to the right side of the room, where there is a door right next to the kitchen. “This is Dad and Papa’s room. Papa used to come get me after Dad got up to go to the med bay and let me sleep in their bed with him until we had to get up.” His voice grows quiet as he talks about his absent father, but then he shakes himself.

He walks over to the door in the middle of the back wall and places a hand on it, beckoning Shiro over. “And this is my room.” It opens with a soft hiss under his touch.

Keith steps inside and Shiro follows, looking around in unconcealed curiosity. You could tell a lot about someone from their room. The one thing that stands out to Shiro is that Keith is a _collector_.

There’s a shelf that sticks out into the middle of the room, just inside the door. Shiro can see the bed behind it, and another shelf on the far wall. The shelf just in front of him holds a lot. The bottom shelf houses a neat row of data pads, grouped together in some sort of filing system. The next shelf has rolled up sheets of paper, also stacked neatly on top of each other, the ends poking out on either side of the shelf they were laying on. The next two shelves hold an assortment of rocks and crystals, and there’s a noticeable gap where Shiro was guessing the shard of Balmeran crystal Keith has is supposed to go. The top shelf has small wooden carvings. Mostly of ships, but there are some people and animals as well. Even, to Shiro’s great surprise and amusement, a hippo.

“What is all this?” Shiro asks quietly. Keith tugs him around the jut of the shelf and then down onto the bed behind it. He points down at the data pads.

“Those are all books Dad gave me, or, ones he lent me, and I never gave back. Those,” he points to the rolled-up papers, “are old star maps Kolivan managed to track down. Antok would bring me any interesting rocks or crystals he found on off-world missions, and Papa would do something similar, but would bring back wood from local trees and carve them for me. He told me his oldest brother would carve things for him and my mom and taught him how to do it.”

Keith reaches over and plucks up a carving, showing it to Shiro. It’s a carving of Keith’s family, all five of their upper bodies shaped out of the wood. Well, four; carving-Ulaz is cradling a tiny baby Keith in his arms. Shiro taps the carved figure next to Ulaz.

“That’s your papa?”

“Yeah.” Keith says, running his thumb over the carving. “Thace.”

“Isn’t Thace your middle name?”

“Mmhm. Mom’s doing, once my birth dad explained what middle names were.”

Keith studies the wood for a minute longer before saying, “This wood… It’s a petrified chunk of a tree from Dibazaal, the Galra home planet. Dibazaal was destroyed before the start of the war, and anything from the planet is rare and hard to find.”

“Like the luxite.”

“Yeah. But somehow Papa found this. He would never tell us how. It was probably through means that would have made Dad scowl.” Keith smiles. “He carved this and gave it to me on my fifteenth birthday. Right before I left home. I meant to take it with me, but I didn’t realize I’d forgotten to take it until I was a long way from the base.” He sets the carving back down on the shelf.

“I miss him.” Keith says quietly. “I missed Dad and Antok and Kolivan _so much_ , but I don’t think I’ll really feel like I’m home until I have all four of them with me.”

Shiro tugs Keith into his side carefully, but his boyfriend comes willingly, chirping.

“I promise you, Keith. We’ll find him too.”

“Yeah.” Keith sighs, closing his eyes. “Can we nap? After all this… I need to go to sleep.”

Shiro kisses the top of Keith’s head. “Sure.”

They strip out of their armor, and Keith slips into a pair of pajamas. He somehow has clothes that fit Shiro, even if the pant legs are too short, and the two of them crawl under the covers. Keith sighs and buries his face into the pillow. “It still smells like home.” He says quietly and turns his head to smile at Shiro. “But now it’s going to be better, because it’s going to smell like you, too.”

Shiro kisses him, and Keith sighs, tension draining out of his shoulders, before turning his head again and wriggling until his back is flush against Shiro’s chest. Shiro wraps an arm around the smaller man easily.

“Sleep well, Keith.”

“Love you, Shiro.” Keith murmurs, and then closes his eyes, breath evening out. Shiro joins him in sleep a moment later.

~*~

“Kitling,” A voice murmurs, and Keith’s brow furrows. “Come now, my dear, time to get up.”

“Five more dobashes, Dad.” Keith yawns, turning to bury his face into the warm, very frim pillow in front of him.

Ulaz laughs quietly. So does the pillow.

Keith frowns and opens his eyes. Oh, that’s not a pillow.

Shiro brushes a lock of hair out of his eyes, smiling as Keith blinks up at him.

“Hi Takashi.” He mutters.

“Hi yourself.” Shiro laughs.

Keith grunts, and turns his head again to blink up at his dad, who’s sitting on the edge of the bed, looking highly amused.

“Come, kit. Time for dinner.”

That wakes Keith right up. “Oh my gods, Antok’s cooking.” He rasps and throws the covers off. Ulaz laughs as he leans out of the way, and both his father and his mate watch in fond amusement as he scrambles out of the bed.

When he opens the door, he is hit by a wave of scent that has him swooning. Finally, after over three years, _real food_.

~*~

Dinner turns into an interrogation session for Shiro. Keith would feel bad, but he’s too busy inhaling the first Antok-cooked meal he’s had in years. Well, it’s interrogation on Kolivan and Antok’s part. Ulaz wants to know more about Earth in general. Shiro handles every question like the champion he is. Keith purrs. He’s so proud of his mate.

Kolivan seems to be relaxing the more he talks to the human, but Antok is very skeptical still. He won’t even take off his mask.

“Antok, mask.” Keith mumbles around a bite of kilza (Shiro says it tastes like a mix of potatoes and turnips) (Keith had known he’d liked those for a reason).

“I am aware.”

“You cannot eat with that on, you know.” Ulaz says in amusement, resting his chin in one hand.

“I am aware of that as well.”

Kolivan sighs in exasperation, looking at his bondmate fondly. “You know, after a year in the gladiator arena, the boy’s not likely to be intimidated by your mask.”

“No, just all the shit Keith’s been telling me about you for years.” Shiro mutters.

Kolivan and Ulaz snort.

“Come _on_ , Antok. Eat.” Keith whines.

“I…”

 _“Shiro has his fair share of scars too, you know.”_ He adds quietly, in Galran, so Shiro can’t understand. _“He’s certainly not going to judge you for yours.”_

Antok hesitates for another few ticks, and then sighs, reaching up to push down his hood and deactivate his mask. He lifts an eyebrow at Keith, ears twitching nervously.

“Happy?”

Keith grins. “Exceedingly.”

Antok looks up at Shiro again, as if daring the human to comment.

“So you’re second in command of the base, right? What exactly does that entail?” Shiro asks, meeting Antok’s eyes unflinchingly. He doesn’t even look at the scars.

Things seem to go a little smoother after that.

~*~

The two quintants are up, and Pidge is eager to see her friends – her other brothers – again. They’re all standing on the bridge, watching the countdown Coran had set up. As soon as the time ticks over to zero, they get an incoming call.

Allura answers immediately. Shiro’s image appears on the screen, smiling. “Hey, guys.”

“Glad to see Keith’s dads didn’t kill you.” Pidge pipes up.

Shiro laughs. “Well, I think one of them is still thinking about it.” He glances down, seemingly typing. “I’m sending you a flight path. Program it into the castle. Don’t try to navigate in manually. The translators should be working by the time you land. One of the Blades will meet you when you land, a woman named Rovan. I’ll see you guys shortly.” Then his image cuts out.

They follow the path, and land on the meteor, next to the Red Lion, without any difficulty.

As they all descend from the castle, they see a small space open in the ground just in front of where the shuttle lands, and a masked Blade rises out of it.

“You all are the paladins of Voltron?” She asks when they step out.

“Yes.” Allura says, stepping forwards. “Can you please take us to our friends?”

The woman bows slightly. “Of course, Princess Allura.” She straightens and glances at all of them. “I am Captain Rovan. Please, follow me.”

She takes them down in the elevator, and then leads them through several tunnels and halls. there are many other Galra there, and they all stop and salute when they see them passing.

“Well, we seem popular.” Lance grins.

“We all know who you are, and how significant it is that you are here. But most importantly, we know you are Keith’s pack. You will be treated like pack in return.” The woman explains.

“You know Keith?” Hunk pipes up.

Rovan turns, mask deactivating, and flashes the Yellow Paladin a fanged smile. “We all know Keith. I’ve known the little guy since he was three years old.” She turns and continues walking, adding “We’re all happy to have him home, even if it’s just for a little while.”

She finally slows at the end of a hall, lifting a hand to point down it. They can all see Shiro standing in the corridor, arms crossed and looking through a window. “Here you are. It was lovely to meet all of you.” She bows again and then disappears down another hall before they can say anything. They approach Shiro then.

“Shiro,” Allura calls, and the Black Paladin looks up, smiling.

“Hi, guys.” He says, then looks through the window again.

“Where’s Keith?” Hunk asks. Shiro just points to the window. They all look through, and a collective gasp goes up.

Keith is in what looks like a training room, decked out in some sort of Marmora training suit, fighting the _biggest_ Galra any of them have ever seen. Even Allura and Coran seem shocked.

They can see another window looking into what looks like a control room, and Ulaz is sitting in there, scrolling through a pad with seemingly no concern that his son is fighting an opponent easily three times his size.

“Staff.” The doctor says over the comms, not even looking up.

The two in the training deck stick their hands out, and two staffs rise out of the floor. They grip them and clash, over and over. The Galra takes a swipe at Keith but the Red Paladin throws himself to the side, using his own staff to knock the Galra’s to the side a bit. This goes on for several minutes before Ulaz says, just as absently, “Blades.”

The two drop the staffs and unsheathe their Marmora blades, activating them in flashes of light before crossing them. Keith is pushed back easily, but he ducks under the swing of the Galra’s blade and slides between his legs, jumping back up to slash at his back, but this Galra has a tail, and that tail wraps around the hybrid’s wrist, stopping his movement just long enough for the Galra to dodge.

Pidge looks up at Shiro. “What the fuck.”

“I second that!” Lance chokes. “You don’t seem very concerned that your boyfriend’s about to _die_.”

Shiro rolls his eyes. “He’s not about to die.”

“All the same, he could get seriously injured. That Galra is far too large an opponent for him!” Allura exclaims.

“No, he isn’t.” Shiro smiles.

Ulaz’s voice crackles over the comms again. “Hand-to-hand.” Both fighters drop their blades and take a fighting stance. The Galra swings but Keith ducks around it easily. It looks for a moment like the Galra’s tail is going to catch him off guard as he swings away, but Keith pivots the other way immediately, avoiding the tail as well.

“You’ve gotten better.” The Galra rumbles, and swings again.

Keith rolls to the side and uses the wall to launch himself up onto the Galra’s shoulders, an arm around his neck, against his throat. The Red Paladin is grinning, sweat making his hair stick to his face.

“Well I haven’t just been sitting around the past three years,” he huffs, and tugs. The Galra suddenly, reaches back, and throws the boy off him. Keith lands in an easy crouch, turning right around and throwing himself back at the Galra, right at his face.

The Galra catches him around the waist, but instead of throwing him off again, he falls, landing flat on his back, arms falling from Keith’s waist and to the ground dramatically.

Shiro turns to smile at them, and then opens the door to the training deck, ushering them all in after him. They enter just in time to see Keith sit up on the Galra’s chest and huff.

“You can’t just _let_ me win!” The hybrid accuses.

“I didn’t.” The Galra replies, still spread-eagle on the ground. “You beat me. I told you, you’ve improved.”

Keith rolls his eyes. “Right. Sure. You totally let me win.”

“Did I?” The Galra asks, then his arms fly up and dig into the Red Paladin’s sides. Keith shrieks with laughter.

“No fair!” He giggles, squirming in the Galra’s grip. “That’s so cheating!”

“The empire fights dirty.” The Galra says just as calmly as before, but now there is an edge of amusement in his voice. He sits up and grips Keith a little tighter, still digging his fingers into the hybrid’s ribs.

“I doubt that Zarkon is randomly going to start tickling me in the middle of a fight!” Keith says breathlessly, still giggling.

“You never know, little one.” The Galra finally lets up and Keith, still giggling, tucks his face into the man’s neck, shoulders relaxing.

Ulaz emerges from the observation room and looks up at them. “Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Blade of Marmora headquarters.” He walks over to Keith and the huge Galra, tapping them gently.

“Look who’s here.”

Keith chirps and looks up, blinking sleepily. “Oh, hey guys.” He taps the large Galra, who stands, still holding Keith easily. He really does look like a child in the man’s arms.

Keith scrambles up onto the Galra’s shoulders as they approach.

“Hey, I’d like you to meet my pack.” Keith says proudly, pointing at the group of them. “Pidge, Hunk, … _Lance_.” “Hey!” “Allura, and Coran.”

Keith grins at them. “Guys, I’d like you to meet Antok, my Dad Number Three.”

…

 _Oh_.

~*~

Keith laughs at the shocked expressions on his friends’ faces. He loves it.

“I should take you guys to see Kolivan.” He digs his heels lightly into Antok’s sides. “Come on.”

Antok huffs, tail flicking, but he starts walking. Shiro and the other Castle inhabitants falling into step behind them, and Ulaz bringing up the rear, holding on to Keith and Antok’s blades, which he’d picked up for them.

They find Kolivan in his office, surprise surprise. He’s reading something on his tablet, frowning heavily, his scent fraught with anxiety, but his ear twitches when the door opens.

“Menace. Antok.” He greets without looking up.

“Kolivan! My friends are here!” Kolivan glances up as their entourage walks in, and he stands quickly, coming around his desk to kneel in front of Allura.

“Princess Allura, it is an honor to meet you.”

Allura smiles as the leader of the Blade of Marmora stands. “Likewise, Kolivan. Keith has told us all so much about you. About the Blade, and his fathers.”

Kolivan rolls his eyes. “Of course he has.”

Keith huffs, setting his chin on top of Antok’s head. “I didn’t say anything _bad_.”

“He didn’t, I assure you.” Allura confirms. “He’s been singing your praises from day one.”

Kolivan raises an eyebrow, then turns and ruffles Keith’s hair. “Good kit.”

Keith chirps and nips at Kolivan’s fingers.

“I suppose we should get down to business, then.” Kolivan says, turning back to Allura.

“Indeed. Zarkon has had ten thousand years to spread his malice. It is good to know we have allies against him.”

Kolivan nods, and then frowns. “I am afraid we really have little time to discuss, however.”

“Kolivan?” Ulaz steps forwards, frowning. “What’s wrong?”

Kolivan sighs. “I just received word from Thace.” Keith and Ulaz freeze, and Antok’s tail twitches up to wrap around Keith’s wrist tightly.

“Thace?” Allura asks.

“Our spy inside the Galra hierarchy.” Kolivan elaborates.

“And my papa.” Keith murmurs.

 Allura’s eyes widen, and she turns to look at Kolivan again. “What did he say?”

“The hierarchy has been made aware of our presence, so our timetable has been moved up.”

Allura’s expression hardens.

Shiro steps up beside her, shoulders squaring. “How soon do we need to begin?”

Kolivan’s voice is hard. “Now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three dads down, one to go. Now shit gets real. Next comes Weblums and Beta Traz and Balmera take two. See you Sunday!  
> And if you're in the Carolinas please be safe. This hurricane looks real bad, ya'll.


	5. The Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun times in the Weblum and Axca's crush on Keith is a little more logical.

They all hole up in the meeting room, huddled around the holographic projection of Zarkon’s command ship. It takes a while, Hunk even falls asleep. Eventually, they come up with something that, while complicated, and could very easily go wrong, if they can pull it off… they can end Zarkon’s reign, here and now.

Hunk startles awake as they are putting the final details together.

“I think we’ve got something here.” Shiro murmurs. “It’s dangerous, and there are a lot of moving parts, but if we can coordinate everything just right, then…”

“Zarkon’s reign will be at an end. And the savagery that’s poisoned our universe can finally be cleansed.” Kolivan turns to the Black Paladin. “You’ve done it, Shiro.”

Shiro smiles and holds out a hand. “We did it together.”

Kolivan glances down at Shiro’s offered hand, and then grasps his forearm, nodding. He glances over at Keith then.

“Okay, menace. I approve of this one.”

Keith purrs.

“As long as we all stick to the plan, it should work.” Allura says, still looking at the hologram.

“It will work.” Kolivan assures her.

“I hope so.” She sighs.

 Lance then gives a very… dramatic reenactment of the plan for the Yellow Paladin, who is still wiping sleep from his eyes.

“I see why you do not like him.” Antok murmurs, tail flicking in agitation. Keith snorts.

Then comes the hard part. They all have to split up. Keith is not happy.

“Shiro, no. You shouldn’t be going to a Galra prison.” Keith protests when the Black Paladin and the Princess divvy up their tasks. “ _I’ll_ go with Lance and Pidge to get Slav. You can go with Hunk to the weblum.”

“Keith, I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be okay. Hunk will need you. You’re the only paladin who knows anything about these things.”

“I wish he didn’t.” Ulaz groans, hiding his face in his hands. “I second Keith’s suggestion. I don’t want him anywhere near those behemoths, thank you very much.”

Antok pats the doctor’s shoulder consolingly.

“But I know Slav! I can-”

“Keith,” Shiro murmurs, gripping the hybrid’s shoulders gently. “I’ll be okay. Hunk needs you.”

Keith whines, but nods finally.

He and Hunk are ready to leave one varga later.

Keith hugs everyone and tackles his fathers.

“It won’t be for long this time,” Kolivan tells him, kissing the top of his head.

“It had better not be.” Ulaz growls.

Then Keith says goodbye to his mate by tugging him down and kissing him in front of everyone.

“Be careful, Takashi.” He murmurs, biting Shiro’s lip gently, before turning and walking towards the Yellow Lion.

Shiro chokes out a weak “I will”, scent flooding with embarrassment. Antok growls, and Kolivan hushes him. Keith grins.

“Was that necessary?” Hunk moans as he follows Keith up into the lion.

“Yes.”

The Yellow Paladin sighs.

~*~

During their hunt for a weblum, Hunk asks him questions.

“So, how long did you live on the base?”

“I arrived when I was two. And my dads raised me until they had to send me away when I was fifteen.”

“Why did they send you away?”

“We thought we’d been compromised. They wanted me to be safe.”

Hunk smiles. “They love you.”

“Of course they do. They’re my dads.”

“I miss my parents, and I’ve only been away from home for a few months. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for you, stuck on Earth for three years, having to hide who you were.”

Keith sighs and crosses his arms on the back of the Yellow Paladin’s chair. “It was. But I had Shiro. He knew. And I had Matt and Pidge. They didn’t know what I was, but they were my friends. And I had you.”

“M-Me?” Hunk sputters.

“Well, yeah. You were part of my pack back then too.”

“But I didn’t know you nearly as long as Shiro or Matt or Pidge!”

Keith shrugs. “Doesn’t matter how long I knew you. You were mine the moment you bumped into me and started pouring out anxiety. I wanted to make you feel better. And I didn’t want you feeling like that again.”

Hunk tilts his head back and smiles up at the hybrid. “Yours, huh?”

“Damn straight.”

“Please don’t lick me.”

Keith grins. “I will make no such promises.”

Keith cannot actually lick Hunk at the moment, because they find the weblum. Keith watches the video Coran gave them, but it’s patchy, and while he knows a little about weblums, he doesn’t know everything. Though in hindsight, staying away from its face should have been a very logical _duh_.

They land on its blind spot without dying, and fight through its innards. It’s gross. And then they get separated. Which sucks. Keith’s pack instincts are going haywire.

“Hunk!”

“I’m here! Surrounded by blood, I hate blood!”

Oh thank the gods. “You’ve gotta find a way out of the circulatory system.” He slashes more of the bacteria and almost falls backwards into the stomach acid. He growls quietly. “Hunk, I’m outnumbered here! Meet me in the third stomach!” then he deactivates his bayard and dives into the acid.

He swims to safety before it can eat through his suit, and he grimaces, very, very glad the suit blocks out the harsher scents. It still smells nasty, though.

He falls into a pit and manages to jet over to something stuck against the wall of flesh, panting harshly. Before realizing that there’s someone _inside_ the pod he’s landed on. And they’re alive. It looks like they’ve been in here a while, judging by the curls of flesh around the pod. Keith stands and slices through them with his bayard.

“Don’t move, I’m here to help.” he cautions, and cuts open the hatch, pulling the person out. His suit may block a lot of scents, but there are some that are so familiar that he can’t _not_ recognize them, and the scent coming off the mystery person hits him about the same time he sees the insignia on their suit.

He grabs their gun off their belt and shoves them away, snarling.

“You’re part of the empire.” He says lowly.

The Galra doesn’t respond, watching him carefully.

His nostrils flare as he notices something else about the person’s scent. “…and you’re a hybrid.”

The person flinches, hissing quietly. Keith winces in sympathy. The empire treats hybrid Galra very poorly. No wonder this poor guy was stuck with one of the worst jobs imaginable.

“It’s okay.” He says quietly, letting himself shift. “I am too.”

There is stunned silence for a moment, but then the other hybrid holds out his – her, actually, he thinks – wrist. He can’t scent her (?) properly with his helmet on, but he tries.

“I’m sorry you’re in this place.” He says, after offering his own wrist. “Weblums are… not fun.”

She snorts.

Then the bacteria find them, and the Galra wires the ship into a bomb, and they jump into the abyss.

They land hard, and the next thing Keith knows, the Galra is grabbing her gun back and aiming it over his shoulder, shooting three more of the bacteria.

“I guess you can keep your gun.” He says, ears twitching in amusement (as much as they can under his helmet). He lets himself shift back as they continue towards the third stomach.

The Galra chirps curiously, and gestures at him in question. He shrugs.

“My mother had Altean blood way back in her ancestry. It allows me to shift between looking fully Galra, and looking like my father’s species. Well, that’s the working theory, anyway.”

“Hm.” She seems like she’s considering this.

They reach the third stomach not long after, and he sees Hunk jetting towards them. Keith chirps and launches himself at the Yellow Paladin, who catches him with a yelp.

“Keith! You made it! We both made it!”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. I got stuck in an artery for a while but that’s about it.”

Keith breathes a sigh of relief.

“Who’s that?”

Keith looks behind him to see the Galra watching them curiously. Actually, from her scent, she seems… baffled. Right. Galra raised under the empire’s rule don’t usually grow up with packs, or free emotion. He feels… really bad for her, when he thinks that.

“Someone I picked up along the way. She doesn’t talk much, and she’s part of the empire.”

“The empire? Uh, are you sure it’s a good idea to be rescuing an empire soldier right now?”

“She’s a hybrid, Hunk. Like me.” He says quietly. “Hybrids are considered lower than dirt in the empire. If we want to change things for the Galra, not just take down Zarkon… where else is better to start? Show the ones who are ostracized that they still matter, and maybe we can start changing things for the better.”

Hunk still looks wary, but he nods. “That’s a good point.”

Then they get attacked again, and Hunk has to go outside and attack the creature’s head to provoke it. Which he must succeed at, because several moments later, the gland with the scaltrite films over.

“It’s working! I think it’s about to get hot in here!” He calls.

He and the Galra soldier fly into a side passage and Keith covers them with his shield as the laser fires.

“Ugh, tell me you got the scaltrite.” Hunk sighs over the radio.

“Grabbing it now.”

He inflates the bags Coran had sent them with and together, he and the Galra load over a dozen with the fresh scaltrite.

A few moments later, he hears the Galra’s weapon heating up, and he glances over to see her aiming the gun at his head, slinging a bag over her shoulder. She smells like adrenaline and is tensed like she’s prepared for a fight. She also seems… very conflicted.

“It’s okay.” He says, standing with his own bags, all linked together. “You need it to take it back to your commanders. They might punish you if you went back without it, right?”

Her arm trembles. Seems like he was spot on.

“Take it, we have enough.” He gestures at his own bags. “Besides, you really helped us out. Call it your share.” He smiles. “Do you need a ride?”

She stares at him in obvious confusion but shakes her head.

“Okay. Well, good luck. Maybe we’ll see each other again someday.”

She holsters her gun very slowly, still staring at him, then turns away, but before she jets off he hears a very quiet “Maybe we will, paladin.”

And then she’s gone.

~*~

Hunk collects him a few moments later. He enters the control room and sighs, taking off his helmet to breathe in un-obstructed air.

“Where’s your buddy?”

“Gone.” He says simply, resting his chin on Hunk’s head. “She took a bag of scaltrite and left.”

“Oh no.”

“It’s okay. I let her. She needed it.” He yawns and nuzzles against Hunk’s neck, purring quietly. “I think I made a difference today. It feels good.”

Hunk reaches up to pat his head. “Glad to hear, buddy. You know, maybe that’s what we need you for. To cuddle the empire into submission. I bet if you pack-piled with Zarkon, the war would be over in no time!”

Keith bursts out laughing. Man, if only.

~*~

Shiro is having a bad day. He has to go to a Galra prison, the last place he _ever_ wanted to be again. He and Lance are having to sneak through the prison to avoid detection while not sure where the hell Slav actually is. He and Lance now _both_ think they’ve found Slav, and to top it all off…

_Slav is insufferable_.

He’s been adjusting the blanket on his bed for six dobashes now.

“Oh come on!” Shiro groans.

“Do you want us to have a chance of not dying horribly?? Then let me finish!” Slav says petulantly.

“Look, we have to get out of here! We have to get back to the Castle of Lions! The Blade sent me to bring you back, and Keith swears up and down-”

The alien turns to him suddenly. “Keith? Keith Kogane?”

“What other Keith could I possibly be talking about?” Shiro sighs. “Yes, Blade of Marmora Keith. Kolivan’s son. He’s a paladin too.”

“Well why didn’t you say Keith was involved!” Slav hops up, clapping all of his hands together. “Whenever Keith is involved, any plan is seventeen point six two percent more likely to succeed!”

“Wh, why? Is the stuff you taught him really that helpful?”

“No – well, yes – but Keith is simply too stubborn for a plan to _not_ go right! He is a statistical anomaly, but a good one! Let’s go!”

Unfortunately that is not their last hurdle, but mentioning Keith again seems to calm Slav at least a little. Shiro groans. Maybe Keith really _should_ have come to get Slav. This guy is exhausting.

~*~

While they’re on their way back to the castle (Keith is curled up in Hunk’s lap and is refusing to move, because reasons) Allura calls them from the Balmera.

“Hunk, Keith, are you there!? Can you hear me!?”

Keith sits up quickly. “Hunk and Keith here, what’s going on, princess?”

“You must return to the castle! I need you!”

Keith and Hunk exchange a look, and Keith stands. “We’re on our way.”

They arrive just as the Blue Lion does, and immediately they’re being fired upon. Keith and Hunk stay to distract the laser creature (Keith thought they killed this thing!) While Lance drops Pidge and Shiro off to get their lions. Lance comes back so Hunk can drop him off to get Red, but they get hit, and begin plummeting towards the Balmera.

“Hunk, do something!”

“I can’t move!”

They’re burning through the atmosphere, and they’re getting faster.

All of a sudden, they’re being pulled up, and they both sag in relief.

“Are you two alright?” Shiro’s voice comes over the comm.

Keith laughs. “We’re good. Thanks, Shiro.”

Shiro has to leave them floating while he goes to help Lance and Pidge, and Keith decides to jet over to the castle by himself.

He almost gets shot. Which is not good, but Red comes out to meet him, scooping him up before he can take any damage.

“Good girl.” He says, and joins the others so they can form Voltron, and they beat the ro-beast. Again.

When they get back to the castle, they hear from Allura that Coran, Ulaz and the Olkari are hard at work on the structure of the teludav and are awaiting their arrival.

“And Hunk, Keith, thank you for getting the scaltrite.”

“No problem!” Hunk says cheerfully.

“Well I wouldn’t say that, but it was… interesting.” Keith hums.

“Keith!”

Keith perks up. “Slav!”

 The many armed alien scurries over and wraps himself around Keith, and the hybrid purrs happily. “You’re okay! I knew Shiro and the others could get you out.”

“Shiro sure is something! And that robot arm is incredible!”

Keith laughs. “I thought you’d find that interesting.”

He can feel someone’s eyes on him and turns to see Shiro gaping at him. He frowns and quirks an eyebrow.

“Something wrong, Takashi?”

“You just, uh, you two seem to get along… really well.”

Keith beams. “Yeah! I’ve known Slav most of my life! I really missed him. Thank you for saving him.”

Shiro opens his mouth as if to say something, then seems to think better of it, shaking his head. “Sure thing, baby.”

~*~

They stand around on Olkarion, looking down at the construction of the teludav, reminiscing.

We’ve come a long way.” Keith murmurs.

“Yeah, remember how Hunk used to throw up riding in the elevator?” Lance teases, glancing over at the Yellow Paladin.

Hunk gives the Blue Paladin an unamused look in return, and then grins. “You guys remember that Arusian, Klyzap, I think his name was? Cool name.”

“Yeah, Keith tried to beat him up even though he was the size of a peanut.” Lance snickers.

Keith growls. “He was their bravest warrior!” then he says, “Remember when I shifted in front of you guys for the first time and you all freaked out except for Shiro?”

“That was so cool!” Pidge says, grinning. “I always knew you were weird, and then I suddenly had proof!” Keith growls playfully and snaps his teeth at her. She sticks out her tongue. “How about the time the food goo machines attacked us in the kitchen?” she says then.

 “That is _the_ scariest thing that has happened to me the entire time I’ve been here.” Hunk confesses, shuddering.

“Oh come on!” Lance says, looking at him.

“It’s the truth!”

“We faced sentries, a haunted castle, giant ro-beasts, a mall security guard…”

Pidge jumps to her feet. “And don’t forget that cool cube thing!”

“Yeah, and that _awful_ cube thing.” Lance retorts.

“You realize, once we defeat Zarkon, the universe won’t need Voltron anymore.” Shiro murmurs, and they all still.

“We could return to Earth.” Lance whispers.

“I can look for my family.” Pidge murmurs.

Keith ruffles her hair. “We’ll help. I won’t rest until all of my pack is safe and accounted for.” He promises, but then grimaces and looks at Shiro. “We _might_ want to stop by Earth first, to let your family know you’re alive, and I didn’t die out in the desert.” He looks back at Pidge. “And maybe let your mom know _you_ at least are okay.”

They both wince, and Shiro squares his shoulders.

“This is it. As long as it all goes according to plan. We can’t fail.”

“We won’t.” Keith vows, then looks at them all. “Come here.” They all look at him curiously, and he holds out his arms. “Come _here_ , dammit.”

Shiro and Pidge approach first, and he yanks them into his arms, purring quietly.

“Pack pile!” Hunk says happily and wraps his arms around the three of them from behind. Pidge giggles, and Keith purrs louder, then looks up at Lance. “You too, McClain.”

Lance looks uncertain. “But, I’m not…”

Keith rolls his eyes. “We may not get along, but you’re still part of my pack. Now get your ass over here.”

Lance smiles hesitantly, then joins them. They all stay cuddled up like that for a long time, Keith’s purr rumbling quietly in their ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise Lance and Keith have more bonding in the next part. Keith doesn't actually hate him, he just finds him annoying. Like those cats who swat at puppies trying to play with them. That's their relationship so far, but it'll improve later. He'll need to rely on his pack, after the end of S2. Which is what is coming next: Thace reunion and Dads freaking out and Keith freaking out and Shiro going poof (coughDYINGcough).   
> I hope everyone is safe from the hurricane and that you continue to stay safe. See you Wednesday.


	6. The Loss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so Season 2 comes to a close. Have fun (but not really because angst)!

Keith’s dads return from coordinating the rest of the Blade later that night, and Keith instigates another pack pile with _all_ of his pack (minus his papa and Matt, but he’d have them too, and soon, dammit). It’s a giant tangle of limbs and purring and laughter and Keith has never felt more secure in his life. They… may or may not accidentally fall asleep like that.

Ahem.

The next day, they lift the teludav off Olkarion and into space so the castle can tow it. Once they are underway, they all stand around the hologram of Zarkon’s ship again while Shiro recounts the plan. Slav mentions that the gravity generator may not last very long, and Shiro sighs.

“Well, that’s a risk we’ll have to have to take. Once Zarkon’s ship is in position, Kolivan and Antok will coordinate with Thace. Together, they’ll take down Zarkon’s defense system, and upload the virus.”

Keith chirps quietly and leans against Kolivan’s side. Kolivan runs his fingers through Keith’s hair absently. Keith tunes back in when Shiro turns to look at the leader.

“What about Thace?”

“He should be getting into position now. We received his last communication three quintants ago. We should hear from him soon.”

“And _then_ will you let me inform him that I’m not dead?” Ulaz mutters.

“Yes.” Kolivan sighs. “We will at that point hypothetically have open communication with him.”

The doctor growls quietly, but nods.

“Then let’s do it.” Shiro says and starts to head for his lift.

“Shiro,” Keith steps away from his fathers and catches his mate’s arm before he can descend.

Shiro turns, and Keith kisses him. “Please be careful.” He murmurs. Shiro tugs him into his arms.

“I will. See you on the other side.”

Keith nods, and inhales his mate’s scent. It’ll be awhile before he can do so again, and he’ll need all the help he can get to remain calm for all of this.

Keith steps back and immediately scales Antok, peering at Shiro over his father’s shoulders. “Good luck.”

Shiro nods, and then disappears from view. They all watch out the viewscreens as the Black Lion takes off into the distance.

“He’ll be alright, kit. He’s a tough one.” Ulaz murmurs.

“I know.”

Kolivan goes to monitor the terminal Thace is to contact them on, and they wait for his and Shiro’s communications. Shiro contacts them a few vargas later.

“Zarkon took the bait. He’s got my location. Is everybody in position?”

“We’ve not yet heard from Thace. He was supposed to contact us two vargas ago.” Kolivan says, looking grim, and a cold feeling settles in the pit of Keith’s stomach.

“He could have been captured.” Antok says quietly.

From his right, Ulaz hisses, hand gripping the back of Keith’s chair.

“Or…killed.” Kolivan adds.

Keith’s breath hitches. _No_.

“We need to abort the mission immediately.” Kolivan continues, and Keith jumps up.

“What?”

At the same time, Allura says sharply “Abort? No! We cannot back away now!”

“The Blade of Marmora does not take chances.” Antok says lowly, tail lashing dangerously as he stares the princess down. “It’s how we’ve survived for so long.”

“It’s also what’s held you back.” Allura snaps. “Your caution is the reason Zarkon is still in power!”

“Kolivan…” Keith says, but the leader holds up a hand, still looking at Allura.

“We would rather wait than jeopardize everything.” Kolivan says calmly. “Besides, it’s too late to get someone else on the inside.”

Keith grits his teeth. “I’ll do it.”

His fathers all turn to him at once.

“No!”

“Absolutely not!”

“If you think for one moment we’d let you…”

“Hey!” Keith snaps, and they all fall silent in shock. He’s never yelled at them before. “I’ll do it.” He repeats, jaw clenching. “I’ll sneak onto Zarkon’s ship. I can interact with their technology just as easily as any of you.” He looks over at Pidge. “Pidge, you can rig up one of those pods with a cloaking device, right?”

“Well, yeah…”

“You are not going!” Kolivan snaps. “Going into Zarkon’s ship is a suicide mission! I would never command someone so inexperienced-”

“I’m _not_ inexperienced.” Keith growls. “I am a Paladin of Voltron. I am a Blade of Marmora.”

“You are our _son_.” Ulaz says quietly.

Keith sighs. “Yes, I am. But I am not a child anymore, Dad.” He turns to look at Ulaz. “I know you all just want to protect me, but you can’t. I’m right in the middle of this war, despite your best efforts. I’ve been trained. I know how to handle myself. You all made sure of that.” He turns back to Kolivan and Antok. “I know you’re scared for me, but this is far from my first intense mission. And it won’t be my last. You can’t keep me out of the fight anymore. You’ll just have to trust that you’ve prepared me enough. You’ll have to trust _me_. I can do this.” He locks eyes with Kolivan. “Let me do this.”

Kolivan stares at him for a long time, and then sighs. “You will stay in radio contact with us _at all times_.” He says sternly. “You cut out on us, even for a tick, and I will find a way to haul your ass off that ship, mission be _damned_. And you will _take orders_. You will do exactly as we say, or the same threat applies, do you understand?”

Keith nods.

“Kolivan, you can’t actually be serious.” Ulaz chokes.

Kolivan sighs. “He’s right Ulaz. He isn’t a child anymore. We can’t protect him forever.”

“He can do this.” Antok says quietly, tail wrapping around Keith’s wrist. “I know he can do this.”

Over the comm, Shiro sighs. “Pidge, get that pod ready. Keith…” there is a period of silence, before he continues. “Let me know when you’re on your way. I’ll give you cover.”

His dads walk with him down to the pod, and while Pidge is setting up the cloaking device, they say goodbye. But it’s not a last goodbye. Not by a long shot. Keith won’t let it be one.

Ulaz whines and tugs Keith into his arms, scenting him furiously. “Be careful, kitling.” He murmurs. “Please, _please_ be careful.”

“I will, Dad.” He tucks his head under his dad’s chin, purring quietly. “And I’ll try to find Papa, if I can. I’ll bring him back home.”

Ulaz nods and lets him go.

Antok tugs him in next. “Stay low. And remember what I taught you.”

“I will.”

Then Kolivan is hugging him. “Remember, stay in contact. Even one tick…”

“And you’ll come in after me, mission be damned.” Keith finishes. “I will, I promise.”

“Stay safe, menace.” Kolivan murmurs.

“I will. I’ll see you all soon. I swear.”

Allura walks in then.

“Keith?”

Keith chirps and looks over at her. “Yeah?”

She walks over and throws her arms around him, and he staggers, but hugs her back. “Allura?”

“You and the paladins are my family now.” She says quietly. “You helped me see that. And I cannot lose my family again. Please, come back to us.”

Keith purrs and scents her gently. “I will.”

Then he’s being tackled from behind. “You’d better.” Pidge mutters. “You promised to help me find my dad, and Matt.”

“I did. And I’ll be keeping that promise.” He assures her. They release him, and he climbs into the pod.

He looks back at his family. His pack. And thinks about Hunk and Lance and Coran upstairs. And Shiro, out there, fighting. He thinks of Matt and Sam, suffering somewhere, in the empire’s hands. He thinks of Colleen and the Shiroganes, back on Earth, not aware of the threat that lurks out in the stars. He thinks of his papa, somewhere on Zarkon’s ship, alone and suffering. Possibly… possibly dead.

They’re all his, and he’ll do whatever he can to protect them. He thinks that he finally understands why they’re all fighting in this war.

~*~

He radios Shiro when he gets close, activating the cloaking device and turning on his comm. “Can you hear me?”

“We read you.” Kolivan says, sounding grim.

Keith navigates through the wake of destruction Shiro leaves behind him, giving Keith a clear way into the command ship. His landing is, less than stellar, but he’s in, and unhurt, much to his fathers’ relief.

“I’m in.” he reports, already tearing down the halls and cutting through sentries before they can alert anyone. He slips through the halls, Kolivan’s voice in his ears directing him towards the power generator.

“Okay, you’ve made it to the lower communication deck. Head left, down that corridor.” Kolivan says, and Keith checks the hall in question before sprinting down it.

“According to the schematics from Thace, there should be a large door up ahead.” Antok cuts in. “This is the central hub for the Galra fleet.”

“I see it,” the door slides open and he dashes to the panel in the center of the room, just in front of a very long drop.

“Kolivan, I’m in. Now what?”

“Now you need to reset the system using the code that Thace obtained. It’ll be down for a dobash, that’s when we’ll upload the virus.”

Keith brings up the code on his suit’s display, feeding it into the console. But he gets an error code. “It’s not working.”

“Try it again.”

He goes to do so, but then the door behind him starts to hiss open, so Keith dives behind a piece of machinery, readying the gun he’d taken from a sentry. He closes his eyes, listening. Only one set of footsteps. The person approaches the console and starts to type something in. Keith can’t catch the person’s scent over the smell of ozone the electricity the machines are emitting, so he can’t tell if it’s a Galra soldier, a sentry, or even a druid. He holds his breath and waits. When the person turns around to leave, he’ll attack.

“Keith, are you there?”

He can’t answer, not without giving himself away. He hopes Kolivan and the others don’t panic too bad.

The door hisses open again. Two sets of footsteps. Dammit.

“And now we know you were attempting to shut down the system.”

Keith’s brow furrows. Huh?

The two sets of footsteps rush forwards, but then the person at the console turns.

“You’re too late.”

Keith freezes.

“No, Thace. You’re too late. We already changed the code.”

Keith’s breath rushes out of him. He jumps out of hiding as the two sets of footsteps move again, and he throws his Marmora blade at one of the druids, seemingly killing it.

The other druid fires at him and Thace, but they dodge attack after attack, Keith even falls off the walkway and jets around to kick the druid in the side of the head, and Thace throws it bodily into an active pylon, frying it.

Thace huffs and picks up his blade. “Thanks for the assistance.” He says weakly. “You’re a blade?” he asks, nodding to the one in Keith’s hand. Keith sheaths it and takes off his helmet.

“Papa.” He chokes.

Thace’s eyes widen. “Keith? Shit, kid, what the void are you-?”

Keith doesn’t let him finish, darting forwards to wrap his arms around his father.

“I found you.” he whispers. “Thank the gods you’re alright. I found you. I _found you_.”

“Hey, hey, easy, kiddo. I’m okay.” Thace murmurs, rubbing his back.

“We thought you were dead!” Keith chokes. “You…”

“I’m alright. A little banged up, but it’s not the worst I’ve ever looked.”

Thace pulls back a little so he can press their foreheads together. “It’s okay, kiddo. I’m here. I gotcha.”

Keith nods. “I got _you_.”

Thace laughs. “Yeah. Uh, so how the void are you here, exactly? Thought you were back on Earth where it’s relatively safe?”

“I found the Blue Lion on Earth, and it took me and four other humans to the Castle of Lions, where we became the new Paladins of Voltron.” Keith summarizes, shrugging.

Thace jerks back and stares at Keith’s armor. “You’re the fucking Red Paladin.”

“Yeah. Thanks for the save a few months ago, by the way.”

“You fought Zarkon. I _watched_ _my own kid fight Zarkon._ ”

Keith whines. “I already got yelled at for that!”

“I’m not gonna yell at you! Damn kid, I’m so proud right now!”

Keith blinks. “Really?”

“Well, yeah! You held your own against the scariest motherfucker in the galaxy. What dad wouldn’t be proud of that?” Thace grins. “Besides, if you’ll remember, I’m not the lecture kind of parent.”

Keith huffs a laugh. “Yeah, no. That’s more Kolivan, and Dad.”

Thace’s smile dims a little. “Yeah.”

Keith opens his mouth to ask, before they both hear “Keith Thace Kogane!” and jump.

“Shit,” he mutters and picks up his helmet, shoving it back on. “I’m here! I’m here, I’m okay, I’m sorry.”

“What did I say, kit?” Kolivan snarls. “What did I say?”

“I know! I’m sorry, but I have a good reason.” He promises.

“And what, pray tell, might that be?” Kolivan hisses.

“I found Papa.”

“…Son of a bitch, I’m going to kill him. After Ulaz has his shot, of course.”

Keith laughs.

“Is that Kolivan?” Thace asks.

“Oh, yeah, hang on.” Keith fiddles with his display screen for a moment before finding the command he wants. “Okay. Kolivan, you’re on speaker.”

“Thace, I’m glad you’re alive, but what the void happened?” Kolivan deadpans.

Thace laughs and rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry, there was a… slight snag. And I’ve spent the last few quintants being… mildly tortured.”

Keith balks. “You were tortured!?”

“Mildly,” Thace assures.

Keith glares at the wound on his father’s chest. “A glowing druid wound doesn’t exactly look _mild_.”

Thace raises an eyebrow. “How do you know what a druid injury looks like?”

“Long story. Kolivan, Papa and I will try to figure this out. Give us a few dobashes.”

He turns off the speaker and looks up at Thace. “Okay, so, they changed the codes. Any ideas?”

Thace shrugs. “We go with plan B.”

Keith frowns. “There’s a plan B?”

“Kid, I always have a plan B. You should know that by now.”

“Okay, what is plan B?”

Thace grins. “Explosions.”

Keith likes plan B.

~*~

“How’re you doing, Keith?” Lance calls over the comms a little while later. Sounds like the battle outside is getting pretty bad.

“The Galra switched the codes. We’re trying a work around.”

“We? Who’s we?”

Keith smiles. “I found my papa.”

“Keith, that’s great.” Shiro says fondly, then grunts. “You guys are working on it?”

“Yeah. Just buy us a little more time.”

“Will do.”

Keith looks up at Thace. “And you’re sure this will work.”

“Kid, you wound me.” Thace stands from where he’d been plugging cables into the console. “I’m using the main power to overload the system.”

“Turning the room into a bomb.”

“Exactly. It’s not the most delicate method, but it’s the only way.”

“I have no problem with blowing up part of Zarkon’s ship.” Keith deadpans.

“And that’s how I know I’m the one you’re related to.” Thace says fondly.

 Haggar and some of the other druids show up, but Keith blasts a pillar over to block the door. “Okay, that solves one problem, but now we’re trapped in here.”

“No we’re not, there’s an exit through the main power conduit.” Thace points at the pit behind the console. “It leads to the second deck.”

“Okay, so we’re not gonna blow up.”

“Kolivan and Antok would revive me just to murder me brutally if I got you blown up, kiddo.”

Keith snickers. “And Dad would eviscerate and castrate you.”

“…yeah.”

A moment later, their blockade is blown to pieces, and they duck behind the console. Keith hands Thace the blaster and wires the console to blow.

“Okay, it’s counting down! We have to jump.”

“Go.” Thace tells him, ducking around to fire at the sentries. “I’ll hold them off.”

Keith’s stomach twists. “What? No! I’m not leaving you!”

“Someone’s gotta stall them and make sure this place actually blows. You need to go. You’re a paladin, and you’re my kid. I’ll be damned if anything happens to you.”

Cold dread fills him. “No, you can’t do this! We can both get out of here, Papa, please! I just got you back! I finally found all my dads, you can’t-”

“Not all of them.” Thace says quietly. “Ulaz is dead.”

Keith’s eyes widen. Oh shit, Dad had never gotten to talk to him. “Papa, no, Dad’s…”

“I’m sorry, I figured Antok and Kolivan would have told you.” Thace says quietly. “Look, I’ve gotta do this. You’ve gotta get out of here in one piece. I’m okay, kid. This is where my journey ends. I can finally see Taza again, and Ulaz… you still have Antok and Kolivan. You’re not a little kid anymore. You’ll be okay.”

“Papa, _please_ , just listen-!”

“Love you, kiddo.” Thace kisses his forehead, and then shoves him into the abyss.

“Papa!” Keith shouts, twisting to look up at the lasers firing overhead.

Keith feels tears prick at the corners of his eyes, and he clenches his jaw, hands tightening into fists. No. _No_. He is _not_ losing any of his fathers. Not now. Not if he can do something about it. He holds out one arm, using his other to steady it, and fires his grappling line. It wraps around Thace’s ankle without the man noticing, and Keith starts a countdown in his head, still falling.

“Three, two…” he mutters. “One.” He yanks on the line, hard, and activates the command that will reel the line in.

Thace yelps as he is dragged over the edge, the extra momentum of Keith’s pull on the cord and the reeling in of the line send him crashing into Keith very quickly. Keith floors the boosters on his jetpack, slowing them just enough not to die as they hit the ground. Keith tugs Thace to his feet and they start running, just as the room above explodes. Keith turns and throws up his shield to protect them from the blast, and they’re tossed out into open space.

Keith twists around to see Thace activating the mask of the Marmora suit hidden under his empire issue armor and sighs in relief, jetting over and wrapping his arms around him.

“Keith…”

“Why,” Keith says weakly. “Why do all of you try to martyr yourselves for me? Please stop. Please don’t ever do anything like that again, Papa. Please, _please_ , never again.”

Thace wraps his own arms around Keith, holding him tightly and purring roughly. “I’m sorry, kiddo. I’m so sorry.”

“Please don’t do that again.” Keith begs. “Please, don’t die on me when there’s a choice not to. Please.”

“I’m so sorry, kiddo. I’m sorry, I won’t. I won’t.” Thace sounds like he’s choking back tears of his own. They float there in space for a few moments, just holding on to each other, before Red finds them. She scoops them up gently, rumbling to reassure him.

“Good girl, Red.” He says quietly. He hops into the pilot’s seat and opens his comm. “We’re out. I’m gonna drop Papa off at the castle, and then I’ll be right there.”

“Hurry, Keith!” Shiro grits.

“I will.”

“I’m going to murder him when he gets here.” Ulaz says on the channel inside Keith’s helmet. Right. That one had been open the whole time. His dads had heard Thace almost kill himself.

“Heads up, you’re in major trouble.” Keith tells him.

“I’m really not surprised.” Thace sighs.

Keith docks Red in her hangar and leads his dad out of the lion’s head. Ulaz is waiting for them, arms crossed and growling dangerously.

Thace freezes when he sees him. “Ulaz?” He chokes. “You’re-”

“Alive.” Ulaz finishes for him, snarling. “And very, _very_ pissed off.”

He strides forwards and tugs Thace into a rib cracking hug, before cuffing him upside the head. “You had the _gall_ to almost die on our son!? On purpose!? You, you…” Ulaz makes a low, dangerous noise. “I could _kill_ you, Thace, if that wouldn’t be extremely counterproductive!”

“You’re alive.” Thace breathes, cupping Ulaz’s face in his hands. “Thank the gods, you’re alive.” Then Thace kisses him. Ulaz huffs angrily but allows it. Keith rolls his eyes. His dads are weird.

“Yes, I am alive. Our son made sure of it.” Ulaz says when Thace releases him. “But I promised him I wouldn’t do anything foolish again. I trust you have now made him the same promise?”

“Yeah, yes. Totally. No more martyrdom.”

“From either of us.” Ulaz adds, nodding.

Thace smiles helplessly. “Gods, I love you.”

Ulaz sighs. “I love you too, void knows why.”

“Thace!”

Keith looks up to see Kolivan stalking towards them, looking pissed. Antok is following, tail lashing.

“Well, I’m fucked. And not in the good way.” Thace sighs.

Keith giggles. He loves his fathers. And now, they’re all here. And safe. Finally.

“Keith! Hurry up!” Shiro shouts over the comm, and Keith jumps.

“Right! Sorry! Coming!”

Ulaz untangles himself from Thace’s grip and hugs him quickly. “Go, kit. They need you.”

Keith beams at his fathers. “I’ll see you guys when all this is over.” He says, and dashes back into Red, streaking out into open space and rushing towards the lights and sounds of battle.

~*~

Ulaz watches the lion containing his son bolt out of the castle, then turns to glare at his idiot bondmate again.

Thace’s ears droop. “Yeah, I figured you weren’t done yelling at me.”

Ulaz growls, but sighs. “I will hold off, for the moment.” He glances over his shoulder at Kolivan and Antok. “Them though…”

Thace winces. “Uh, hi.”

Antok growls lowly. Kolivan just huffs. “I’ll leave it up to Ulaz. You know what you did, and I’m sure Keith’s tearful lecture did its job.”

Thace winces again. “Yeah. That, that was not fun.”

“Neither is having your father try to get himself killed on purpose.” Ulaz sighs. “And yet, here we are.”

“I will never not be making this up to him, huh?”

“Probably not.” Kolivan shrugs, tugging Antok back a step. “We’ve got to get back to the bridge. Thace, glad you’re not dead. Don’t try to be dead any time soon.” Then he drags Antok out of the Red Lion’s hangar.

Ulaz sighs again and grips Thace’s arm, gently but firmly. “Come, you. I need to get you into a healing pod.” He starts marching them towards the door. Thace looks over at him, ears twitching.

“I thought you hated using those things unless absolutely necessary? And, I’m okay, really. I mean, yeah, I’m pretty banged up, but we both know I’ve had worse.”

Ulaz huffs. “I would rather not, but we are about to be in the middle of a very, _very_ intense battle, and we may need you. Which means you need to be in good shape relatively quickly. The healing pod can have you relatively fixed up in less than a varga.”

Thace nods. “Alright, fair.”

Ulaz escorts him through the castle, having to pass by the bridge to get to the healing pods. Allura sticks her head out as they pass.

“Ulaz!”

“Princess. I will join you shortly, I have to escort my idiot bondmate into a healing pod.”

Thace blinks at the princess rapidly. “That. That is Princess Allura.”

Ulaz rolls his eyes. “Who else did you expect on the _Altean Castle of Lions?_ ”

“Fair point.”

Allura chuckles. “I see where Keith gets it from.”

Ulaz huffs in agitation. “Yes. Unfortunately, our son is actually blood-related to this one.”

Thace shrugs. “Guilty as charged.”

Allura steps out of the room and bows. “It is nice to meet you, Thace. Keith has told us all wonderful things about all of his fathers, yourself included.”

Thace salutes her lazily. “Nice to meet you too, princess. Good to know the kid can still lie like a champ.”

Ulaz growls and shoves at the commander. “Move.”

Allura’s laughter follows them down the hall. “We’re making the jump soon!” She calls.

Ulaz gets Thace stripped out of his damaged empire armor and the Marmora suit underneath, and into one of the white jumpsuits.

He shoves his bondmate into the pod and closes it behind him. “I’ll set out a new Marmora suit for you to put on. Once you’re out, meet us up on the bridge.”

“Will do.” And then Thace’s eyes close.

Ulaz rolls his eyes. He loves his bondmate, really he does. But he can be truly idiotic. Thankfully, he thinks, eyes softening as he gazes at Thace’s sleeping form, their son had made sure his idiocy didn’t have any permanent consequences.

Ulaz shakes his head, then turns and ventures back towards the bridge.

~*~

Keith joins the rest of the Paladins as Allura lowers the teludav around Zarkon’s ship. He sees the castle fly around and enter the wormhole as well and falls into formation with the other lions as they all follow the castle. They emerge to see Zarkon’s ship still completely out of power, and Shiro gives the order to form Voltron.

They start going to town on Zarkon’s ship, destroying the shield generator and the engines with no problem.

Then they get hit by something. Something that sees to suck the life out of them. No, the _quintessence_.

_“Keith!”_ He thinks he hears one of his fathers’ voices shout over the comm, and then he blacks out.

He comes to a moment later, with Allura’s frantic voice over the comm.

“Paladins, can you hear me!?”

Shiro groans. “Yes, princess, we’re alive.”

Keith hisses and grips his head. Damn, that hurt. He blinks down at his gloves after a moment. Claws. The blast from that weapon forced his shift. Huh.

None of them can move their lions, so that’s not good, and Keith can’t seem to shift back at first, which is also not good. While everyone else reports in, Keith manages to scrape together enough effort to force himself back to looking human, but he’d been worried there for a few ticks. It apparently takes a lot more than he’d ever realized to shift.

And then another ro-beast looking thing, which is apparently Zarkon, comes at them. And they still can’t move, so the castle attacks it… and is blasted. They can hear Allura scream over the comm, and it all goes quiet.

No _._ No no no no, he just got them all back. He finally had almost all of his pack members safe and sound. _No_.

Keith whines low in his throat and closes his eyes.

There is a moment of silence, before Shiro’s voice comes over the radio, voice hard. “Everybody, listen. We have to fight. We have to channel all our energy, visualize five becoming one. We have to focus everything we have into moving Voltron.”

Keith’s jaw clenches, hands gripping tighter on Red’s controls.

“We are the last thing standing in the way of Zarkon’s total universal domination,” Shiro says. “I’m not giving up that fight. Are you, Hunk?”

“No.” Hunk’s voice is as steady as his scent has always been. Keith can feel the Yellow Lion’s energy spark back to life.

“Pidge?”

“Never!” Her words are sharp, and fierce, just like she is. And the Green Lion’s energy reignites.

“Lance?”

“Let’s go down swingin’.” It’s the most serious he’s ever heard the Blue Paladin, and the Blue Lion flares up beneath him.

“…Keith?” Shiro’s voice is soft as he says his mate’s name, and Keith smirks.

“I’m all in.” Red roars in his head, and the cockpit glows around him once more.

“Then let’s get Voltron back in this battle.” Black comes to life with a vengeance, and they all focus their energy on tearing Zarkon apart.

He will _pay_ for hurting their pack.

~*~

Thace wakes when the pod hisses open and he stumbles out into the very dark room. He frowns. That’s not right, this place had been obscenely bright when Ulaz had brought him in. He finds his way to the table where Ulaz had left him a suit and tugs it on before stepping out into the hall, and his feet lift off the ground. The artificial gravity is off. Overhead, a wire sparks. The castle has been damaged.

Fear spikes through Thace’s system. “Ulaz. Ulaz!”

Thace propels himself back towards the bride, wedging the door open and seeing the room for the first time. It’s a wreck.

There is an older Altean male gripping the princess’s shoulders, Kolivan and Antok are drifting off to the left, seemingly fine but unmoving, and, _there_. His bondmate is floating off to the side, unconscious but unharmed, thank the gods.

Thace kicks off from the wall to grab the far console, reaching out and snagging Ulaz’s limp wrist, tugging him close.

“’Laz, hey, come on.” He murmurs, bumping their foreheads together.

Ulaz growls, opening his eyes. “Thace?” He blinks, and then winces. “Hm, well, that hurt.”

“What in the void happened?”

“Zarkon has a shiny new toy.” The doctor says sarcastically. “And the Kohmar is working, so Voltron couldn’t move out of the way. So we had to intervene.” Ulaz points to the window, and Thace turns, seeing Zarkon’s power armor fully active and fighting Voltron.

“Oh fuck, he’s using _that_ thing? The tests never worked! He’s gonna kill himself.”

“Good.” A voice mutters, and Thace turns to see Antok gliding towards them, tail twitching, and Kolivan slung over his shoulder.

“Well, yes, but if it explodes near Voltron, that would be bad. And the fucking Kohmar. Shit.”

“Keith is alright.” Ulaz reassures. “Although I’m quite certain he doesn’t know _we_ are.”

Kolivan groans, finally regaining consciousness. He stills, evaluating where he is and what just happened, and then he growls. “I hate the druids.”

Antok pats his back consolingly.

“Kolivan,”

They all turn to see the princess gripping the controls in the middle of the room. “Can you get me to the Kohmar?”

“It will be dangerous,” Kolivan says, sliding off Antok’s shoulder so he can look a little more dignified, “But I know a way.”

Allura nods and pushes off the controls towards the door. “You and the other Blades come with me. We’re going to have to attack the witch directly if we hope to stop that thing.”

“Payback? Yes, please.” Thace mutters, following the others to the door.

Ulaz growls beside him. “Are you healed?”

Thace rolls his eyes. “Yes, dear.”

The doctor sighs and follows the princess. “Alright, then. Let’s go aid our son, shall we?”

~*~

They follow the princess over to the Kohmar, where Kolivan launches his propeller, ship, thing (Altean tech is weird) into a druid.

They all land on the platform in front of Haggar, who looks positively enraged to see them.

“I am going to kill so many druids today.” Thace says cheerfully, and Haggar glares.

“Commander Thace. You’re alive?”

“Yep.” Then Thace turns and throws his blade at a druid’s head, killing it.

And then all of them split to fight the remaining druids.

Thace and Ulaz double team one and take it down easily. Kolivan keeps tossing his blade around and hitting everything in its radius (saving the princess in the process) and Antok is taking on another druid on a platform slightly below them. he rebounds his blade off the side of the platform and cuts the druid's shoulder, and just when he's about to dispatch the thing, he's hit with a bolt of magic from a higher platform. Fucking _Haggar_.

"Antok!" Kolivan shouts. The druid in front of Antok is about to kill him, but Thace jumps the gap between the platforms and nails the druid in the side of the head, knocking it off and down into the void. Ulaz lands behind him.

"Thace, help me."

Antok has collapsed onto his knees, hissing lowly and gripping his arm. Thace helps Ulaz pull the lieutenant to his feet and the doctor carefully tugs Antok's hand away from the wound to examine it.

"Is he okay? Antok, are you okay?" Kolivan says, near frantic as he lands next to them on the platform.

"He'll live." Ulaz assures, prodding the injury gently, apologizing softly when Antok grunts.

"Thank the gods." Kolivan sighs, shoulders slumping.

"I thought you were helping the princess?" Thace says, and Kolivan points up.

"She seems to be doing fine on her own."

Thace looks up. Allura is fighting Haggar. And glowing pink. Huh.

~*~

Voltron clashes with Zarkon again and again, although thankfully the weird quintessence draining thing has stopped. Zarkon keeps trying to override Shiro's control of the Black Lion, and Keith knows the strain of trying to keep him out is taking a toll on his mate. Oh, and then Zarkon _electrocutes them_.

They split back into their separate lions and Keith rights Red, growling quietly under his breath.

"Shiro." He calls, looking over towards the Black Lion, which hasn't moved. "Shiro?"

No response.

Keith growls again, louder. "Something's wrong with Shiro. Guys, we can't let Zarkon get the Black Lion!"

Zarkon's super suit of armor is _tough_. They can't make a dent in it. It's blasting them around easily. Keith clenches his jaw. Zarkon is toying with them. Playing with his food before he eats it. In a few minutes he'll kill them and take the Black Lion.

Just then he is hit with Zarkon's laser sword thing, and yelps as Red's circuits spark around him.

He straightens, and then sees Shiro and the Black Lion whiz past him, and the wings... _the wings are extended_. The Black Lion passes through Zarkons armor, and comes out the other side, wings folding once again.

Keith huffs a laugh. Shiro unlocked Black's ultimate ability. Teleportation.

"Shiro?" Keith asks.

"Whoa, what did you do?" Lance whispers.

"I've got Zarkon's bayard." Shiro says, a little breathless.

Keith smirks. "You mean you've got _your_ bayard."

They reform Voltron, and this time, _this time_ , they're going to take this fucker down.

~*~

Thace and Kolivan dispatch the last few druids while Ulaz tends to Antok.

"I am quite pleased to say, lieutenant, that I believe you will make a full recovery."

Antok huffs, tail lashing impatiently. "Thank you, doctor. I would never have known if you had not informed me."

Ulaz chuckles.

They both look up when Haggar yells and see a lot of bright pink energy curl around the Kohmar. Allura destroys it and lands on the platform next to them, collapsing on her hands and knees in exhaustion.

Ulaz reaches over and presses the back of his hand to her forehead, purring quietly. "You've over-exerted yourself again, princess." He chides gently. "But you'll be alright, with a little rest."

Allura huffs a laugh. "Thank you, doctor."

Ulaz rolls his eyes. "Why are all my patients so sassy?"

"You bring it out in us, 'Laz." Thace says, landing behind them. Kolivan joins him a moment later.

"It would seem Voltron is finishing up their task as well." The leader says, nodding out towards where the giant robot and Zarkon are still clashing.

"I do hope they've been careful." Ulaz sighs, then helps Antok back to his feet. "We should get back to the castle, and get you looked after." He looks at Allura. "Both of you."

They start to move towards their speeders, when Thace makes a choking noise. "Could Voltron always do that?"

They turn and... oh. The sword in the Red Lion’s grip is… on fire.

It would seem Shiro has managed to reacquire the black bayard. Wonderful.

~*~

While Voltron is thrashing Zarkon, they get a bit of very welcome news.

"Hello, paladins!" Coran's voice crows over the comm.

"You're alive!" Hunk sobs.

"Is everyone okay?" Shiro asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Don't worry, guys!" Slav says, and the others groan but Keith is actually happy about that.

"What about my dads?"

"They went with Allura to shut down the Kohmar! I just heard from them. Antok was injured, but they're all okay."

Keith sags in relief. Good. That's good.

the ship starts to come back online, so it's time for their last charge.

The blade pierces Zarkon's armor, but even then, it doesn't seem to be enough, as Zarkon clasps Voltron's head, Shiro's cockpit, and floods it with electricity.

"Shiro!"

Keith hears Shiro _growl_ over the comm., and then the sword is _on fire._

Keith tugs it out and stabs Zarkon with it again, and this time, the armor crumples, and a huge shockwave blasts them all back into lions.

"Did we do it?" Lance asks quietly.

"Is it over?" Hunk echoes.

Before anyone can say anything else, the castle pulls up near them.

"I have Allura and the Blades. We need to go."

As they start flying back to the ship, Keith spots the Black Lion off to the side, still immobile.

"Shiro!" He stops and races back for the prone lion and his silent mate. Pidge follows right behind him.

'We need to tow him back to the ship!" She calls, and they each grab a side, hauling the Black Lion back to its hangar. Allura opens a wormhole and they leave before the ship finishes powering up.

Keith jumps out of Red and sprints towards the Black Lion. To Shiro.

Something is wrong. Something is _very very wrong_.

"Shiro!" He shouts. "Shiro!"

No answer over the comm.

The Black Lion's mouth is open so he races in, up to the cockpit. The door opens very slowly. He can sense the other paladins, and Allura, all standing behind him.

"Shiro?" He whispers, but there's no one there to hear him. The pilot's seat is empty.

"He's gone." Lance murmurs.

He's gone.

Shiro's gone. Again.

And Keith hadn't been able to save him.

~*~

"Come on, Antok. Let me get you down to the pods." Ulaz says, helping the lieutenant stand from where he'd collapsed when they'd boarded.

Antok grunts but doesn't protest. Ulaz turns to glare at his bondmate.

"You too, Thace."

"What? But I was in one already!"

"There is no way in the void your druid wound was healed in a half varga. You are coming. _Now_."

Thace groans.

"You all do that, I'll just be here, sleeping for the next year." Kolivan sighs, leaning back against the wall.

Ulaz rolls his eyes. "As if you won't be pacing outside Antok's pod in the next twenty dobashes."

"Fair enough."

Before they can leave the room however, they hear a scream. A cry of anguish. Of fear. They all know the voice it comes from.

_Keith_.

Ulaz drops Antok's arm and books it towards the sound. He can hear the others following, all pain and fatigue pushed to the side in the knowledge that their kit is hurting.

Ulaz shoves open the door to the Black Lion's hangar with a snarl.

The other paladins look up in shock, and... Keith is curled in a ball on the floor, fully shifted, and it _reeks_ of despair in the room. Ulaz can smell it from the door.

"Keith!" Thace shouts behind him, and that reminds him to move. He runs towards his distraught kit, dropping to his knees and pulling the boy into his arms.

"Keith? Kitling, what is it? Are you hurt? What's wrong?"

Keith shakes his head, whimpering quietly and burying his face in Ulaz's neck.

"Kid! Oh gods, Ulaz is he hurt? Is he bleeding? What's going on?" Thace drops down next to him and places a hand on Keith's back.

"What happened?" Kolivan snaps at the other paladins and the Alteans. Antok is growling quietly as he falls to his knees, one hand joining Thace’s on Keith’s back and his tail wraps around Keith's exposed wrist. The kit grips it tightly, but Antok doesn't flinch.

"Answer me!" Kolivan growls. "What happened to our son!?"

"Nothing happened to Keith." Pidge says in a small voice. Ulaz frowns. In all the time he's known the girl, she's never sounded that small.

"Then what's wrong?" He asks, combing his fingers through Keith's hair when he starts sobbing.

"It's Shiro." Allura says quietly, as though she hopes Keith won't hear. "He's gone."

"Gone?"

"He disappeared. From the Black Lion's cockpit. There is no trace of him."

Oh. Oh no.

"How is that possible?" Kolivan growls, finally joining the rest of them on the floor.

"We do not know."

"'Laz," Thace whispers.

Ulaz hushes Keith gently and then glances up at his bondmate.

"Hm?"

"Who the void is Shiro?"

Right, Thace had never met the Black Paladin. "He's Keith's mate."

Thace blinks rapidly. "Keith has a what now?"

"Later, Thace."

Thace winces, and nods, ducking to press his cheek against Keith's shoulder.

"Give us a few minutes." Ulaz tells Allura.

She nods, and ushers the others out of the room. Kolivan immediately latches on to Keith as well, and they all spend a very long time trying to soothe their distressed kit. It feels like a lifetime before the boy finally falls into a restless sleep.

Ulaz sighs when he feels Keith's breathing even out. "Kolivan, take him to his room. Stay with him." He looks at Antok and Thace. "You two still need to get into healing pods."

Kolivan scoops Keith into his arms and carefully carries him from the hangar. Ulaz and the others stand, and Thace takes Ulaz's shoulder.

"Okay, now explain."

"Keith met Shiro during his time on Earth. They became friends, and then began courting. Shiro was taken by the empire for a full year – he was the Champion of Zarkon's gladiator arena. When he returned, he and Keith and the others became paladins. Shiro is a good man, and Keith... Keith loves him very much. Gods, this must be destroying him."

"So, Keith has a mate," Thace says slowly, glancing over at Antok, "and you didn't kill him?"

Antok tilts his head. "Shiro is..." The lieutenant pauses. "A special circumstance."

"Holy shit, you like him. You actually like Keith's mate." Thace looks at Ulaz. "Kolivan?"

"Kolivan has also voiced his approval."

"And you?"

Ulaz’s ears flick. "As I said: Shiro is a god man."

"Son of a bitch." Thace says, stunned.

"Indeed."

~*~

Keith wakes screaming.

Lightning and darkness and Zarkon laughing. Shiro.

_Shiro_.

"Keith! Hey, it's okay, it's alright, come here."

Keith turns towards his father's voice blindly, burying his face in Kolivan's neck.

"He's gone." He chokes, digging his fingers into Kolivan's shirt. "He's gone, he's gone..."

Another voice shushes him and gentle hands comb through his hair.

"Hush, kitling, it will be alright." Ulaz soothes.

"How?" He chokes.

"He is alive, Keith. There was no body, which means he is out there, somewhere. And you know he will be doing everything in his power to get back to you."

"We'll find him." Kolivan says. "We'll scour the whole damn universe if we have to, but we'll find him.”

Keith whines lowly in the back of his throat but lets his shoulders slump.

Shiro is gone. Keith's heart is in pieces.

But his fathers are here. They are with him. They will help, like they always have. They'll know what to do.

So Keith closes his eyes, and lets go.

 

END PART 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, everyone! That’s it for Part 4. Shiro is gone but we already know he comes back so it’s fine. But now that ARWY is over, I have a confession. Some of you have wondered how I get chapters out so quickly. Well, it’s because parts 2, 3 and 4 were written during NaNoWriMo last year. So! Part 5 (Seasons 3 and 4) IS BEING WRITTEN but it’s being difficult considering for a great deal of S4, Keith isn’t actually in the show, and I’m having to figure out what the hell he’s up to. So Part 5 may come slightly later than a month. I’m hoping the creative juices will flow and it’ll come out quicker than it has been, but I just wanted to give you all a heads up!  
> In the meantime, I am going to go back and tweak Part 2 (and even a line or two in this part) just a bit to reflect canon (Shiro’s disease and James, for the most part, and at least mention Adam). There will not be major changes; just like with LOTRO, it will only be a scene or two. So if you don’t want to go back and read it, that’s fine, just know that Keith will be aware of who James is.


End file.
